No Motswana automatically qualifies for land allocation

Botswana Land Policy 2019 does not provide for persons, either women heading households, individuals under difficult circumstances or People Living with Disabilities to automatically qualify for land allocation.Instead, an assessment has to be made and where a recommendation is made by social welfare officers there must be a provision that the plot will be developed through a well-defined programme or funding arrangement.Acting Minister of Minister of Lands and Waters Affairs, Mabuse Pule told Parliament in response to a question by Member of Parliament for Maun East, Goretetse Kekgonegile that the Botswana Land Policy of 2019 recognises that disadvantaged members of the society once identified because of qualifications they are not processed through the waiting list. Further, those members are to be provided with opportunities that will ensure their inclusion in the economic development mainstream through affirmative action in land allocation.The Policy indicates these categories of people as remote area dwellers, widows, orphans, youth, people living with disabilities and the needy. The special assistance accorded these groups of people is need-based.“An individual does not automatically qualify for land allocation by being among these groups. An assessment is made and where a recommendation is made by the social welfare officers there must be a provision that the plot will be developed through a well-defined programme or funding arrangement”.He further highlighted that youth are normally accorded preferential treatment where they have been approved for economic empowerment programmes that need land.There is no provision for female headed households as a category of those who deserve special treatment in land allocation. The household must fall within one of the defined categories and having been assessed and found deserving. He said the above mentioned disadvantaged members of the society are not processed through the waiting list.The Ministry is not amenable to the inclusion of female headed households as a category of those who should be given special treatment unless their circumstances dictate that they be assisted as needy persons under the existing Government programmes.In addition, the classification of female headed households as a disadvantaged group will need to be made by the relevant ministries.Pule said the ministry keeps data for special land allocations disaggregated according to People Living with Disabilities, Orphans, Youth and The Needy.In the past five years a total of 9 066 people with special needs were assisted being 207 people living with disabilities, 130 Orphans, 7 733 Youth and 996 registered Needy people including Remote Area Dwellers and Widows. It is not disaggregated to the level of women headed households.This financial year the Ministry has allocated 52 277 residential plots to Batswana, including people in these categories.

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No Motswana automatically qualifies for land allocation