Land Tenure

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LAND TENURE IN BOTSWANA
Land tenure refers to the legal or conventional relationship among individuals or groups of people with respect to land. Tenure defines the property rights that are held in a particular land that societies ought to act on. They specify the means for the grant of access to the right to use, control, transfer land and also the associated responsibilities and limitations. Land tenure systems basically determine the scope of use, user, time of use and conditions of use of particular resources. It is therefore plays an important part in the social, political and economical structures. It involves several dimensions, involving the social, economic, political, institutional, lawful and technical aspects into the open to be …show more content…

Also, even though the land is for the citizens of the country, its ownership is with the state. In Botswana, the indigenous tenure systems that existed since pre-colonial times have over the years been relatively well integrated with a modern and democratic system of land administration (Adams, Land tenure policy and practice in Botswana; Governance lessons for southern Africa). The Tribal Land Act and Land Policy of Botswana have been bringing about careful change, responding to specific needs to accomplish innovation to the pre-existing land tenures. The country continues to adapt its administration of customary land based on the rights and values to a rapidly urbanizing economy and expanding land market (Adams, Land tenure policy and practice in Botswana; Governance lessons for southern Africa).Below is a description of the tribal land tenure before and after independence to the present time to appreciate how it has evolved over the years to affect investment in real …show more content…

Great change has occurred in Botswana since 1966 in all sectors of the economy. Great developments and improvements in the political, administrative, social and economic setups have taken place. The nation accepted four national principles of democracy, development, self reliance and unity. In this case, land administration became a bedrock block to facilitate the principles (Mathuba, 2003). The changes in land administration were influenced by various factors, the most central being the new structures introduced by government. These structures included a new state president, cabinet and parliament as well as a remodeled judiciary and the enactment of the Tribal Land Act in 1968 which established the land boards. All the powers of the Chiefs were transferred to the land boards to make them custodians of tribal land. Nine land boards started operating in 1970 (Adams, Land tenure policy and practice in Botswana; Governance lessons for southern Africa). As the custodians of land, the Land Boards functions include the allocation of land; imposing restrictions on the use of land; authorising change of use and transfer; and the resolution of land disputes in their

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