‘Enact law for title deeds to all citizens’

The call comes at a time when the issue of title deeds is a bone of contention while their unavailability and lack of property rights are eroding investment confidence in Zimbabwe.
THE Coalition for Market and Liberal Solutions (Comaliso) has called on Parliament to enact a law that enables low-income citizens to access title deeds.

The call comes at a time when the issue of title deeds is a bone of contention while their unavailability and lack of property rights are eroding investment confidence in Zimbabwe.

Thousands of dwellers have no title deeds to the land they were allocated in peri-urban settlements created on farms repossessed by the government under the 2000 land reform programme.

In an interview with NewsDay, Comaliso founder Rejoice Ngwenya said they had high hopes that relevant stakeholders would make necessary intervention to ensure easy access.

“The principle is that so far, we have done all there is to do in terms of awareness, that is informing the public of their right to title; alerting local authorities of the need to transfer title to deserving long-standing tenants; and alerting local authorities that it is their responsibility to regularise informal settlements,” he said.

“Now, the next phase is legislation, that is ensuring that the government has a law that makes it easier for low-income citizens to access titled deeds.”

Ngwenya said to ensure the smooth flow of the process, Comaliso had appeared before the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Local Government and directly represented its petition to the House.

“Just before the Sadc Parliamentary adjournment, the committee chairperson Supa Collins Mandiwanzira requested that Comaliso produces a document that shows the deficits or weaknesses of current property and title deed legislation.

“We hope that when Parliament resumes its seating in September, our Right to Shelter Bill will start being debated both in Parliament and in communities,” he said.

Ngwenya also indicated that while the parliamentary process is underway, Comaliso has approached the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Securities Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe with a request to ensure the challenges that hinder the smooth transfer of title deeds are tackled.

“Our research is clear that transfer and conveyance fees are one of the most damning obstacles to title deeds,” he said.

“Our team has created a concept called National Shelter Fund, which will run much like a medical aid society for transfer aspirants,” he said.

In the run-up to the August 2023 elections, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to dole out more than 11 000 title deeds.

However, despite Mnangagwa’s promise to regularise some informal settlements, where hundreds of title deeds were handed out ahead of the elections, government has failed to fulfil the commitment.-newsda