Chobe Land Board has set a target to allocate 1,200 residential plots during the 2026/2027 financial year, and to achieve this milestone, a total of 680 out of the 1,200 plots have already been surveyed at Kazungula.
This was revealed by Chobe District Council Chairman Johane Chenjekwa during a full council meeting held in Kasane this week.
Chenjekwa highlighted that there are 141 residual plots readily available for allocation in Kazungula, remaining from the previous allocation exercise conducted in December 2025.
According to him, a total of 2,127 residential plots is still available for allocation across various villages in the district, including Kavimba (485), Kachikau (881), Satau (675), and Parakarungu (86).
He noted that these are residential plots currently without takers, and the Chobe Land Board plans to start allocating them during its next scheduled sittings.
With regard to village expansion issues, Chenjekwa stated that the Chobe Land Board plans to consult the community in Pandamatenga village to acquire 55 hectares for village expansion and another 312 hectares for ploughing field demarcations.
He furthermore indicated that the land board will continue with similar consultations at Mabele village to acquire 80 hectares for village expansion. These consultations are expected to be completed by the end of June 2026.
Chenjekwa noted that an official request to de-gazette portions of forest reserves around Lesoma village for village expansion has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, following a motion passed by the Chobe District Council during its December 2025 sitting. He revealed that a response to this request is still awaited, and reminders continue to be sent to the relevant ministry to conclude the matter.
Chenjekwa raised concern about the escalating number of plot transfers in the district. He revealed that since the beginning of the current financial year to date, a total of 34 plots have been transferred.
“Chobe Land Board, as previously reported, is very much concerned about the ever-increasing number of plot owners, especially the youth, who are giving away this valuable and generational asset. We must all be concerned and not shy away from speaking against such,” he said.
He called upon the district leadership, at both individual and collective levels, to invest in public education and awareness on the negative implications associated with losing land through transfers, especially residential plots.
In relation to the Secure Land Title (SLT) registration and issuance, Chenjekwa revealed that as of 22 May 2026, Chobe Land Board had managed to register 2,638 applications for SLTs with the Registrar of Deeds against a possible 7,841 SLTs that could be generated, translating to a performance level of 33.6 per cent.
He stated that so far, a cumulative total of 1,410 SLTs have been issued to their respective owners against 2,633 SLTs that are ready for collection, translating to a 53.4 per cent performance level. Chenjekwa has, however, expressed worry about plot owners showing reluctance to collect their SLTs, citing various reasons such as the high cost of replacement once a title is lost.
He noted that the land board has since established an SLT “war room”—a dedicated team working daily to ensure SLTs are registered with the Registrar of Deeds at a faster and higher rate.
“During its meeting held from 25 to 29 May 2026, Chobe Land Board orally interviewed applicants for the vacant non-residential plots that were advertised for various land uses across its area of jurisdiction. It is anticipated that formal and final offers will be concluded by the end of June 2026,” he said.
