SETTLEMENT AND HOUSING 6.1Introduction

6.1.2Strategic Plans for Respective Ministries

The Ministry aims at providing good and affordable housing to the public, it also strives to avail land for residential expansion as well as taking care that the fertile land is not consumed at the expense of agricultural production.

The Ministry is committed to the provision of effective and efficient service delivery to the communities as well as ensuring the provision of basic infrastructure through its various machineries in the district.

6.1.3Settlement and Housing Consultation Priorities

These are derived from the comments made by communities in their respective villages /settlements and of course from other stakeholders. The top priority for communities is the replication of Self Help Housing Agency scheme to their villages. The delay in plot allocation by the Landboard is also an issue as well as the poor roads in villages. Another priority was the recognition of Mokatse and Khurutshe settlements as villages. Khurutshe is neither a village nor a RAD settlement but apparently there is a RAD school with hostel and a Health Post.
The communities complained that the Artesia Subordinate Land Board refuses to allocate them residential plots at Khurutshe, stating that Khurutshe is not a gazetted settlement. Subsequently the Khurutshe community were not allowed to propose development projects for Khurutshe because it is serviced from Kgomodiatshaba. The issue was brought to the attention of District Leadership Committee and finally to the Full Council for discussion. Full Council resolved that development growth should be restricted to retain Khurutshe as a settlement with just the school.
Mokatse

Mokatse residents want to be recognised as an independent settlement from Modipane despite the fact that the two are contiguous. The Council considered that tribal authority had already appointed a Chief Representative there who ranked the same as the one at Modipane. It therefore resolved to recommend to the Ministry that Mokatse be granted recognised settlement status.

In line with the National Settlement Policy (1998), the district has only one primary centre (Mochudi), which is also the district headquarters. The rest fall within tertiary 2 and below. Most services have accumulated in the headquarters with very little to other centres/settlements. The issue of infrastructure and services is paramount in the district and it is therefore critical to follow the National Settlement Policy to permit equity. However, during DDP 6, the district will emphasise on spreading developments to other parts of the district.

6.2National Policies and Legislation

6.2.1National Settlement Policy 1998

The National Settlement Policy has been reviewed to meet the current challenges notably the fair distribution of infrastructure provision based on a settlement’s size and potentials. The policy was approved by parliament in August 1998. The overall goal of the policy is to provide a comprehensive set of guidelines for national physical planning and to provide framework for guiding the distribution of investment in a way that reflects the settlement’s size, population, economic potential, level of infrastructure and its role as a service centre. One of the basic features of the policy is the creation of a settlement hierarchy to facilitate growth of settlements in support of agricultural production and other productive activities. This policy has helped the district to plan appropriately for its settlements in terms of their hierarchical order.

6.2.2Kgatleng District Settlement Strategy 1999 - 2023

The District Settlement Strategy spells out the objectives of the National Settlement Policy at district level. The Kgatleng District Settlement Strategy runs for a twenty-four year period i.e. from 1999-2023.The strategy’s overall goal is to guide local authorities in the location and prioritisation of development opportunities in the district. It also facilitates the coordination of national and sectoral policies at district level.

6.2.3Physical Development Plans

6.2.3.1South – Eastern Region Master Plan 2003-2027

This plan covers the districts of Kgatleng, Kweneng, Southern, South East and the two towns of Jwaneng and Lobatse as well as the city of Gaborone. Like all the long term plans it covers a 24-year from 2003-2027. The plan is basically intended to improve the living conditions of the resident population. It is aimed at identifying the available resources in each and every settlement / village; the carrying capacity therein and to see how best resources could be utilized in each and every locality.

6.2.3.2Integrated Land Use Plan

The district does not have an integrated land use plan to guide growth or development. There is need therefore for the district to prepare it. A small section of the district has an integrated land use plan, the Mmamashia Land Management Plan. This has helped to guide land uses in an area of approximately 118.29 square kilometers.

6.2.3.3Mochudi Planning Area (Development Plan) 1995 - 2015

The development plan also covers the surrounding villages of Rasesa, Pilane, Morwa and Bokaa. The plan articulates the various land uses in this broad area for the next 20 years, though now only 12 years remain for the plan to end as it was prepared in 1995. Mochudi Planning Area was gazetted under the Town and Country Planning (Declaration of Planning Areas) Order of 18^th April,1995 through statutory instrument no.27 of 1995.The plan is currently running beyond its horizon, it is therefore imperative that it be reviewed.

6.2.3.4Development Plan for the River Villages

A development plan is being prepared for the five villages of Malolwane, Ramonaka, Mathubudukwane, Mabalane and Sikwane. These settlements do not have clear village boundaries, the only thing that can help define their extent are their water works areas. The river villages as they are called in the plan are located along the Limpopo river that borders the Republic of South Africa and Botswana in the south-east of Kgatleng District. They have not been declared planning areas. Their development plan stretches from 2002-2026.It is expected that the plan would promote efficient land utilization and avoid sprawling uncoordinated village growth.

6.2.3.5Town and Country Planning Act 1977

The act makes provision for the orderly and progressive development of land, both in urban and rural areas and to preserve and improve the amenities thereof for the grant of permission to develop land and for other powers of control over the use of land; and for purposes ancillary or connected with matters aforesaid. Although it is stated that it is applicable also in rural areas it is currently used in declared planning areas. In the district it is applied to Mochudi Planning Area which includes Bokaa,Morwa,Pilane,Rasesa &Mochudi. Permission for land development has to be sought from the District Council. However, major developments; change of land uses are referred to the Town and Country Planning Board for decision.

6.2.3.6Tribal Land Act (Amendment 1993)

This act establishes the Land Boards and spells out their powers and duties. The Land Boards grant both customary and common-law tenures to the public. It is worth mentioning that the act no longer bars non-tribesmen from acquiring land in other tribal areas. The allocation is now based on citizenship allowing every Motswana to settle at his/her place of choice. The greatest problem is non-compliance with development covenants by plot allottees and the apparent leniency by the Land Boards to enforce the act. All land in the District other than the strip along the railway line is held under tribal land tenure system administered by the Kgatleng Land board.

6.2.3.7National Housing Policy 2000

The National Policy on Housing reflects and responds to issues emerging as the population of the country grows and becomes more urbanized. The goal of the policy is to facilitate the provision of decent and affordable housing for all within a safe and sanitary environment. It aims at improving the quality of housing in the rural areas by introducing a modified version of the self-help site and service scheme. The policy strives to shift emphasis of government from home provision to facilitation in the settlements in partnership with other stakeholders and to promote housing as an instrument of economic empowerment and poverty alleviation. The SHHA scheme has been introduced in Mochudi Planning Area since November 2001. It is hoped that the scheme will greatly assist in home development in the district.

6.2.3.8Institutional Housing

This housing is provided for both officers of central and local government with funds from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Environment. However there are other ministries/departments that provide housing to their district based officers, like Ministry of Education, Police, Prisons, to mention but a few. Parastatals and other organizations also provide this housing to their employees. Although the intention is to house each and every employee, some people still share houses, others have to rent out accommodation from private developers. This has a bearing on their social welfare.

6.2.3.9Self Help Housing Agency

The scheme took effect in the District in November, 2001. The intention or purpose of the scheme is to assist low and middle income families to build or improve their houses (homes). Assistance (loan) is given to individuals earning between P4400 and P36400 per annum as well as to self employed people (Farmers & Business people) of the same income range. The assistance is in the form of materials and payment of labour. No hard cash is given to individuals.
From April 2002 to March 2003 the programme received 124 applications from the planning area. The main problems facing the scheme are the centralized funds at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Environment and the skeletal staff employed in this department. It is envisaged that the programme will extend to other villages during DDP6.

6.2.3.10Rural Housing

This is individual effort by villagers in providing for their shelter. Due to a variety of problems and circumstances the majority of people in the rural areas cannot access finance from lending institutions to start up their own houses. The recently introduced Self Help Housing Agency scheme in the rural areas will go a long way in addressing poor housing in the district. The National Rural Sanitation Programme has also impacted in rural housing by ensuring that a sizeable number of households have an on site sewage disposal facility.

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