Africa-Press – Zambia. The President has taken on issues of corruption at Ministry of Lands and pledged to end the vice with the introduction of digital platforms that will replace face-to-face interaction with people.
In his speech to Parliament, President Hakainde Hichilema said every Zambian must be given an opportunity to own land and all those who were allocated farmland in resettlement areas and farming blocks should be given title deeds.
“In order to eliminate inefficiencies, human interference, and corruption in our land administration, we are rolling out a comprehensive digitization program that includes mapping all land parcels,” the President said.
“We are introducing land access windows, tailored for small-scale farmers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and investors to ensure equitable distribution and use of land across sectors,” he said.
He noted that 70% of our own land is under customary system and urged the traditional leaders to help formalize customary land transactions and align their alienation of land to match with national use plans.
“Land titles will assure security of tenure, unlock access to credit, stimulate rural enterprises and empower families to pass down wealth across generations,” the President said.
He noted that there has been delays in disposing off land disputes due to the lack of capacity at the Lands Tribunal.
“We will significantly strengthen the lands tribunal by increasing budgetary support and decentralizing its operations,” the President told Parliament.
This part of the speech was good music to my ears. The President speech in this aspect captured what I have been calling and advocating for. These are the reforms we need and not that proposed Bill 13 that would have worsened the situation at the Ministry of Lands to give powers to Registrar to cancel titles.
If I was debating the Presidential Speech in Parliament, I would make the following proposals;
1. Government should immediately table the Bill pursuant to Article 233 of the Constitution to operationalize the Lands Commission, which Will then be established in all provinces to cater for land administration and alienation.
2. Bring a Bill that will transform the entire Lands and Deeds Registry into a digital registry and make sure that all digital titles match the situation on the ground in terms of allocation, land size and all.
3. Lands Tribunal should be given timelines in which to dispose off land disputes so that disputes do not unnecessarily take long. This has been the main complaint of many Zambians.
4. We need national Indaba with all chiefs to discuss the land tenure system as well as alienation of land in customary areas. We need to find ways of giving titles even “customary titles” with well marked diagrams so that each person knows the actual land size and boundaries. This can be given by the chiefs themselves and such should be recognized as valid proof of ownership.
Well done President and I hope with this speech on land, the proposed Bill 13 can now be rested and allow for thorough reforms as announced by the President in Parliament.
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