Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Water and Human Settlement is pursuing a five-fold strategy to deliver 100 000 houses in five years, Minister Onneetse Ramogapi has told Parliament.
Minister Onneetse Ramogapi has told Parliament recently when responding to a question from Molepolole North MP, Mr Arafat Khan.
He said the strategy comprised Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) commercial projects, social housing schemes including the Bonno turnkey programme, a D4 salary scale and below housing scheme, private sector-led initiatives and donated houses.
He said the social housing scheme targeted individuals earning between P4 400 and P95 000 per annum. Under this category, beneficiaries paid P90 000 while government covered any cost above that threshold.
For the D4 salary scale and below, or equivalent housing scheme, aimed at those earning between P95 001 and P282 120 annually, beneficiaries were required to meet the full cost of the house.
The minister said government had rebranded and revamped the existing low-income housing programme into the Bonno National Housing Programme. Under the Bonno turnkey scheme, 353 housing units were planned for construction across all constituencies in the current financial year.
“Fifty-eight houses are under construction and are on course to be completed by the end of December,” said Minister Ramogapi, saying that the remaining 295 units would start this month due to late approval of funding.
He said 61 houses under D4 and below or equivalent housing scheme would commence this month owing to late approval of funds as well, while a total of 924 units were under construction and 11 494 at preconstruction stage, making a total of 12 418 units.
Under the private sector led investment, Minister Ramogapi said 19 344 housing units had been allocated to 154 investors across 52 constituencies, and implementation was at contracting stage.
Additionally, he said four houses had been donated by Morupule Coal Mine, Choppies and Obakeng Construction.
Mr Ramogapi also informed the House that government purchased 1 226 units of former BCL and Tati Nickel mines.
Regarding the number allocated to Molepolole, Mr Ramogapi said 1 288 housing units were allocated for construction in the said village through the different housing schemes; mostly by the private sector led investment at 1 200 houses, followed by 80 under the BHC commercial, and eight under Bonno turnkey.
Molepolole North MP, Mr Arafat Khan, had asked the minister to share with the House, the status of the pledge to deliver 100 000 houses within five years as stated in the Umbrella for Democratic Change 2024 manifesto, progress made towards the commitment as well as the number of houses allocated to Molepolole.
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