Title Deeds Program Aims to Formalize Urban Land Ownership Across Zimbabwe
In a wide-ranging interview, Zimbabwe’s Social Amenities Permanent Secretary Engineer Theodius Chinyanga provided details on the government’s ongoing Presidential Title Deeds Program, which aims to issue formal land ownership documents to thousands of urban residents across the country.
“A title deed is a paper that demonstrates ownership and it’s the last thing. Once it’s issued, it means a development has satisfied all conditions,” Chinyanga explained. He noted that the program is a key part of achieving the goals laid out in Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 development plan, which calls for increasing urban residents’ access to secure land tenure.
Many urban Zimbabweans, including those living in government or council-owned housing, currently lack formal title deeds to the properties they occupy. Chinyanga said this program is meant to address that gap and formalize land ownership, especially in informal settlements and older suburbs developed by the government.
“There are 21,000 such houses, with tenants who are prepared to receive title deeds, but before we issue title deeds, we must satisfy ourselves that the person who signed the document is the one we are communicating with,” Chinyanga said, explaining the verification process underway.
The program is being implemented through a partnership with the Kwangu Trust, a public-private entity that is helping to digitize property records and facilitate the issuance of title deeds. Chinyanga said the Trust is setting up on-site offices to manage the process, which will use new security features like holograms, QR codes and barcodes on the title documents.
“The proper issuance of title deeds will start from July, a dry-run has already been done,” Chinyanga announced, indicating that a national launch by the President is being planned. He noted that some local authorities, including in Kwekwe, Gweru and Bulawayo, are already well advanced in the process of issuing titles to residents.
Overall, the Title Deeds Program represents an important step in Zimbabwe’s efforts to formalize urban land ownership and provide residents greater security of tenure, in line with the country’s development vision. ial Amenities Permanent Secretary Engineer Theodius Chinyanga:
Title Deeds Program Aims to Formalize Urban Land Ownership Across Zimbabwe
2024-06-21
In a wide-ranging interview, Zimbabwe’s Social Amenities Permanent Secretary Engineer Theodius Chinyanga provided details on the government’s ongoing Presidential Title Deeds Program, which aims to issue formal land ownership documents to thousands of urban residents across the country.
“A title deed is a paper that demonstrates ownership and it’s the last thing. Once its issued, it means a development has satisfied all conditions,” Chinyanga explained. He noted that the program is a key part of achieving the goals laid out in Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 development plan, which calls for increasing urban residents’ access to secure land tenure.
Many urban Zimbabweans, including those living in government or council-owned housing, currently lack formal title deeds to the properties they occupy. Chinyanga said this program is meant to address that gap and formalize land ownership, especially in informal settlements and older suburbs developed by the government.
“There are 21,000 such houses, with tenants who are prepared to receive title deeds, but before we issue title deeds, we must satisfy ourselves that the person who signed the document is the one we are communicating with,” Chinyanga said, explaining the verification process underway.
The program is being implemented through a partnership with the Kwangu Trust, a public-private entity that is helping to digitize property records and facilitate the issuance of title deeds. Chinyanga said the Trust is setting up on-site offices to manage the process, which will use new security features like holograms, QR codes and barcodes on the title documents.
“The proper issuance of title deeds will start from July, a dry-run has already been done,” Chinyanga announced, indicating that a national launch by the President is being planned. He noted that some local authorities, including in Kwekwe, Gweru and Bulawayo, are already well advanced in the process of issuing titles to residents.
Overall, the Title Deeds Program represents an important step in Zimbabwe’s efforts to formalize urban land ownership and provide residents greater security of tenure, in line with the country’s development vision.
