Selebi-Phikwe — Minister of Lands and Housing Nonofo Molefhi has sent a strong warning that those who sell their plots will be blacklisted.

The Minister said he realised that some people who were allocated new plots in Mekorong Phase Three location in Selebi-Phikwe have already advertised to sell them even before they have developed them.

"I personally saw the advertisements for those plots in less then a month after the provisional allocation started. At the beginning of the new year already four plots were up for sale in Mekorong."

The minister has since instructed the department of lands office in Francistown to monitor those adverts. The victim's plots shall be withdrawn. He said that selling is an indication that the owner does not want the plot. "If you sell, that is the end of it because it shows that one does not want a plot but they are in business."

The council has only started allocation of plots at Mekorong in February this year and a satellite office has been opened for that purpose. There are 2,618 plots in Mekorong out of which 1,408 are under the Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA), 1,138 under department of surveys and lands, 74 industrial and 2 commercial plots.

Department of Lands Director Ian Tema has indicated that the servicing of Mekorong cost the government P245, 937, 25, 00. He said the sale of plots is illegal. "Only provisional allocation has been done but formal allocation has not started. Those who have been allocated plots do not own them yet until they get a formal offer and pay a deposit. Until you receive the letter that you have been formally allocated the plot, it remains government property. So selling at this stage is corruption."

Tema noted that after the ongoing provisional allocation all applications will be forwarded to the State Land Advisory Committee who will make formal offers.

A senior official from the department of lands in Francistown indicated that the committee will be sitting in two weeks time and said it has never happened before that applicants advertised to sell their plots before formal allocation. "If indeed they have advertised those plots then investigations will have to be carried out because it shows that they do not need those plots. During provisional allocation we demand financial evidence that the applicant will be able to pay for the plot and even develop it. Again we are going to consult with the deeds registry, SHHA and Botswana Housing Corporation to check if those applicants do not own plots elsewhere and if they do, we are going to withdraw their applications.'