MAELE APPLAUDS KGALAGADI LAND BOARD FOR BEING COMPASSIONATE

Date: 
29 Aug 2016

The Minister of Lands and Housing, Honourable Prince Maele applauded staff of Kgalagadi Land Board for showing compassion over those in need. Hon. Maele was speaking at an official handover ceremony of a house to Ms. Abate Chelagodale in Tshane village near Hukuntsi on Monday August 30th, 2016. The modern two and a half house was built through proceeds generated by staff of Kgalagadi Land Board. 

The Minister expressed his gratitude to have been invited to the handover ceremony, which he said marks yet another milestone in line with His Excellency’s, the President’s Housing Appeal for the needy. Kgalagadi Land Board took up this initiative upon realising the struggle for decent and habitable accommodation for the disadvantaged and vulnerable people. In an effort to positively contribute to and change for the better, the lives of ordinary people, Kgalagadi Land Board took it upon themselves to build the house for this grandmother of nineteen grandchildren. The house was constructed at a total of P102, 219.24, the money which was raised through various activities as well as contribution by the staff of Kgalagadi Land Board. Construction was undertaken by apprentices at Lehututu Brigades.

In his address during the handover, Hon. Maele said that he has been given the responsibility by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana to oversee land and housing issues in the country. “At the moment the Ministry is building 4481 houses under ESP and these are under under various schemes like SHHA, POHI and Youth Housing,” he shared. He further pointed out that the Ministry can not only rely on these new homes to meet housing needs. The Minister shared that through the Presidential Housing Appeal which was established in 2010, companies and individuals have been requested to donate houses to the needy. “The response to the Presidential Housing Appeal has been tremendous and is a clear testimony to the compassion that people in this country have,” he emphasised. He shared that so far 633 houses have been handed over under the Presidential Housing Appeal and that the house being handed over was the 634 house. “At the moment 32 houses are still under construction. My Ministry alone has donated 13 houses under this scheme since its inception and thus makes this the 14th house while three more houses are at various stages of construction across the country in TOnota, Motokwe and Morwamosu,” pointed out Maele.

In concluding his address, Minister Maele thanked all the contributors who had a part to play in the construction of the house, particularly staff of the Kgalagadi Land Board under the chairmanship of Mr J. Hiri. Minister Maele later paid a courtesy call on various government departments including Kgosi Motshoge III of Tshane village.