- Churches in Francistown, Botswana, were occupying state land without authorisation
- After a January 2014 meeting, squatting churches were told to relocate within 14 working days
- Some councillors argued churches contribute to the city and should get alternatives
- Others said squatting harmed the city’s image with investors
Churches occupying state land without permission in Francistown, Botswana, divided the city council, Mmegi reported on May 5, 2014, in a report by Patricia Edwin.
After a meeting on January 30, 2014, involving church bodies including the Botswana Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana, the Organisation of African Instituted Churches and the Ministers’ Fraternal, the council directed that “all churches that are illegally squatting should relocate and restore the land to its original state within 14 working days.” The deadline was February 20, 2014.
Councillors disagreed on how hard to push. Professor Tlou argued that churches “contribute to the city and lives of people” and opposed eviction without alternatives. Councillor Robert Mosweu argued that allowing churches to squat undermined the city’s image for investors, and said most of the squatting churches were not registered.
The debate set the needs of growing congregations against the city’s control of its land.
Some new congregations in Jamaica also start on land they do not own, whether a vacant lot, a roadside or a government reserve. As in Francistown, they are easy targets for enforcement and hard to defend. Registering the church, applying for land through the proper channels and securing a lease, even a short one, gives a congregation standing when officials start asking questions.
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