Pula Institute of Town Planners-PITP

09/10/2026

06/10/2026

Urban October: The Drive Towards Sustainable Human Settlements

Urban October is a month-long global campaign that focuses attention on the opportunities and challenges associated with urbanisation. It provides a platform for governments, urban planners, development partners, communities, the private sector and other stakeholders to reflect on how cities and human settlements can become inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
The month begins with World Habitat Day, observed annually on the first Monday of October, and concludes with World Cities Day on 31 October. It is an opportunity to rethink how we plan, develop and manage our towns and cities in response to rapid population growth, housing demand, climate change and changing economic conditions.

PITP and Urban planners in Botswana join the rest of the world join the celebration of Urban October through different activities. The

Yesterday , PITP represented by Ms Malwapeng and Mr Maabong joined the country and the world in commemorating the World Habitat Day at the Gaborone Main Mall Square, where stakeholders and development partners gathered to share the message under the theme:
“Adequate Housing for All: Connecting People to Land, Housing, Finance and Sustainable Human Settlements.”
The theme is particularly relevant to Botswana, where access to suitable land, affordable housing and appropriate financing remains central to the development of sustainable communities. Adequate housing is not simply about constructing houses; it is about ensuring that people have access to well-located land, infrastructure, basic services, transportation, economic opportunities and secure tenure. The gathering therefore provided an important platform for stakeholders to reflect on how partnerships and coordinated interventions can help bridge the gap between people and the resources required to create decent and sustainable places to live. The speakers called for immediate action to come up with innovative ways of coming up with affordable and accessible housing to Batswana of all divides. Highlighting this, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Botswana Ms Wenyan Yang indicated that over 3 billion people around the world lack access to decent housing and out of this, over 1.1 billion people continue to leave in informal settlements. This calls for collaboration between stakeholders to work towards inclusive and adequate housing.

For urban planners, Urban October is a reminder that housing is fundamentally a spatial planning issue. The location, density, connectivity and supporting infrastructure of housing determine whether settlements become sustainable communities or simply concentrations of buildings. As Botswana accelerates its drive towards sustainable housing, urban planners have an important role in ensuring that housing development is integrated with land-use planning, infrastructure provision, transportation, environmental management and economic development the government’s initiative of BONNO housing programme provides the footprint for collaborative efforts towards a nation that is better housed.
The challenge is therefore to move beyond the traditional approach of simply providing housing units towards creating sustainable human settlements—places where people can live, work, access services, participate in the economy and enjoy a good quality of life.
Consequently this remind us as planners that to take the opportunity during Urban October to stimulate stronger collaboration between government, local authorities, traditional leadership, developers, financial institutions, communities and development partners. It is through such partnerships that Botswana can better connect people to land, housing and finance, while ensuring that the settlements we build today remain resilient and sustainable for future generations. Ultimately, Urban October challenges us to ask not only “How many houses are we building?” but also “What kind of communities are we creating?”

29/09/2026

The P**a Institute of Town Planners (PITP) announces that its President, Nnyaladzi Tema, is participating in the Planning Africa Conference 2026, currently underway in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference is held under the theme “Digital Technologies & Sustainable Futures: Pathways for Urban and Regional Planning in Africa.”

Mr Tema's participation has been fully sponsored by the South African Planning Institute (SAPI), underscoring the strong collaboration and growing partnerships among planning professionals across the African continent.

He is joined at the conference by the PITP Secretary General, Miss Taboka Malwapeng, as part of the Institute's delegation representing Botswana at one of Africa's leading planning and development forums.

A key highlight of Mr Tema's participation will be his contribution to a high-level Roundtable Discussion on Digital Technology and Sustainable Futures on Wednesday, 30 September 2026. The discussion will bring together leading planners, academics, policymakers and development practitioners to explore how digital innovation can contribute to sustainable urban and regional development across Africa. The conference theme places particular emphasis on the role of technology in shaping resilient, inclusive and sustainable futures for African cities and regions.

In another significant milestone, Mr Tema will also co-sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the emerging SADC Planning Institute, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation among planning institutes in Southern Africa. The agreement is expected to promote knowledge exchange, professional development, research collaboration and regional integration within the planning profession.

Adding further distinction to Botswana's presence at the conference, PITP member Ms Godiramang Motlhagodi is scheduled to present a technical paper entitled “Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Housing Design to Address Flood Resilience in Boteti and Tutume Districts, Botswana."

The participation of PITP leadership and members at the conference demonstrates Botswana's growing contribution to regional and continental conversations on planning, sustainable development, climate resilience, indigenous knowledge systems and digital transformation.
Running from 29 September to 1 October 2026, the Planning Africa Conference has brought together planners, researchers, government officials, academics and development practitioners from across Africa and beyond to deliberate on critical issues affecting the future of cities, regions and communities on the continent.

PITP acknowledges Mr. Nnyaladzi Tema, Miss Taboka Malwapeng, and Ms Godiramang Motlhagodi for representing both the Institute and Botswana on this important continental platform. Their participation reflects PITP's commitment to advancing professional excellence, regional cooperation and sustainable planning solutions for Africa's future.

25/09/2026

30/07/2026

Dear Colleagues, PITP has been requested to extend an invite to it's membership, to complete the links for contribution to the crafting of the National ESG Strategy. The requests follows PITP Executive Committee meeting with National Planning Commission. Kindly find time to complete one of the linked questionnaires today at your convenience.

https://forms.gle/GxpXTGQwS7Q9Tnnu7

https://forms.gle/qsMCZvqCLdjNdVg68

Large enterprises drive Botswana’s exports, employment and investment, and are central to Vision 2036. This instrument assesses your sustainability risks and practices using questions tailored to your sector, so the National ESG Strategy can support competitiveness, supply-chain resilience and res...

01/07/2026

Volunteer opportunity to represent CAP on the Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations

This note invites applications for the role of CAPs representative on the Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations (IFCO).

1. Background
IFCO exists to enable cooperation, dialogue and collective action among Commonwealth Accredited Organisations (AOs) including CAP, and to facilitate the effective contribution of organised civil society to the promotion of Commonwealth values and objectives.

Over 80 AOs are part of the IFCO network and each has appointed someone to be its IFCO contact.

IFCO has recently undertaken a comprehensive governance review and a new organisational structure is now in place and operating. Clive Harridge, former CAP Secretary-General, is currently CAPs representative on IFCO and as a former member of IFCOs Steering Group he was closely involved in the governance review and its implementation. Clive is standing down as CAPs representative and thus a replacement is now being sought.

Further information about IFCO can be found on its website IFCO - Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations
The primary aims of IFCO are:
1. To serve the Commonwealth and its peoples, to promote Commonwealth values as expressed by the Commonwealth Charter.
2. To make the experience, knowledge and skills of AOs more accessible to governments and Commonwealth Inter-governmental Organisations for use in promoting Commonwealth development and wellbeing, including by means of recognising/establishing thematic clusters of Commonwealth Organisations.
3. To promote a better appreciation of the role and value of civil society contributions and voices in furthering Commonwealth objectives.
4. To provide a forum where organisations can exchange experience and information, co-ordinate views and prepare proposals and submissions for consideration by competent authorities.
5. To serve as a sounding board for ideas and proposals articulated by its partners.
6. To encourage organisations to engage in critical self-examination and analysis with a view to improving performance and maintaining the highest standards of integrity, accountability and transparency.

The IFCO Constitution which was agreed as a part of the governance review is attached to this note.

2. The CAP Representative Role

As CAPs representative you will be required to proactively engage with the work of IFCO to help further its aims and objects as set out above. The role will involve contributing to the work of IFCO and representing CAP in a variety of ways as set out in the IFCO Constitution including:
a. participating and voting In all IFCO meetings, including IFCO Conferences, and the Annual General Meeting, in person or online.
b. Engaging in any IFCO elections, including for Chair and Committee members,
c. Receiving information through emails from the IFCO Chair or other officers.
d. Contributing to the development of IFCO strategies and action plans.
e. Contributing to IFCO policies and decisions.
f. Sharing knowledge, ideas and good practices with other AOs.
g. Promoting IFCO and its policies and statements within CAP and beyond.
Meetings of IFCO (called Conferences) are held at least two times a year either virtually or hybrid (virtually and in person in London).

3. Applicant requirements
CAPs IFCO representative should be familiar with the work of CAP and have a good understanding of the Commonwealth particularly as set out in the Commonwealth Charter. You will be required to participate in IFCO conferences (often held at unsocial hours!) and keep CAP members informed of IFCO activities. Although occasional meetings are held in London it is not necessary for CAPs representative to be UK based and in the past IFCO was seen by some as too UK based; many other AO representatives come from across the Commonwealth and participate virtually.
The appointment as CAPs representative will be for a 3 year period to be renewed thereafter at the discretion of CAPs Board.
4. Applications for the role of CAPs IFCO Representative
Written applications (1,000 words max) setting out why you are suitable for the role must be submitted by email to Annette O'Donnell, [email protected] by 24:00 (UK time) on 30 July 2026.

5. Further information
If you would like further information about IFCO and the role of CAPs representative please contact Clive Harridge on [email protected] or Kelley Moore on [email protected]

01/06/2026

On Saturday, 30 May 2026, University of Botswana students from
School of Design and Built Environment-Department of Urban and Regional Planning presented the PITP Code of Ethics. The session was held at the Main Mall Open Square in Gaborone and was attended by the PITP President, Mr. Nyaladzi Tema, members of the Executive Committee (EXCO), and other PITP members. The discussions were engaging and constructive, providing valuable insights and contributing to a successful and fruitful session.

About the meeting Venue …

The venue was chosen as a model for fellow students, town planners and urban stakeholders, showing how public spaces can be used interchangeably for learning, social interaction, arts & performance, and commerce while remaining environmentally conscious and people-centered.