The Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Margaret Nasha has instructed a Parliamentary Sub-Committee to meet a pressure group that wants government to overhaul the land use policy.
Among other things the Pressure Group wants Batswana to be given more land for residential and commercial purposes.
After requesting to meet her, the Speaker, Dr Nasha instructed the parliamentary portfolio committee responsible for agriculture to give audience to the youth dominated group.
Previously the Group had sought to petition the Minister of Lands but he has since declined to meet them.
They have also been turned down by the Office of the President.
The pressure group, Chairman, Motlhale Moalosi says Dr Nasha has already instructed the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Housing to meet them.
He said that they have since met with the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture Lands and Housing which is chaired by Major General Moeng Pheto after the Speaker instructed the committee to meet them.
Moalosi stated that during the meeting they expressed their concerns about difficulties surrounding access to land.
“And most of the committee members agree with our concerns as raised. They have since promised that they will have to furnish Nasha with the contents of the petition,” said Moalosi.
Moalosi emphasized that they have indefinitely suspended the march from Francistown to Gaborone which was viewed by some as a “Militant” move that was meant to incite people to revolt against government.
He explained that they approached the Speaker of the National Assembly to use that platform to express their concerns.
Moalosi says that their march was meant to sensitize and call on government to address problems of land and housing.
“We want to take it to the National Assembly because even the president failed to come up with solutions to land issue during his State of the Nation. This shows that this current government is not serious about issues of land,” added Moalosi.
Dr Nasha confirmed that she indeed she instructed the sub-committee to meet them.
“We will give them an opportunity to address the National Assembly,” said Nasha.
