Lack of title deeds trigger informal settlements

THE Coalition for Market and Liberal Solutions (Comaliso) research group has bemoaned lack of private property rights in urban areas that has triggered the sprouting of informal settlements across the country.

Government earlier this year promised to dish out title deeds to thousands of informal settlers in areas around Harare and other parts of the country, but later backtracked.

In a report, Comaliso said it established that millions of citizens were living in inner cities, informal settlements and urban high-density areas.

“Millions of urban Zimbabweans cannot use property to empower themselves. Not only that, millions of poor Zimbabweans live in a state of uncertainty that their property will be demolished. 42 years after independence, this is not an acceptable state of property affairs,” read the report.

In March, National Housing minister Daniel Garwe told Parliament that the responsibility of issuing title deeds lay with central government and local authorities.

Comaliso, however, said most illegal and informal settlers were ignorant and had no basic knowledge of their property rights.

“Most settlers in informal settlements and urban high-density areas have no idea of local government by-laws or regulations that govern surveying, infrastructure and environment.

“The overall impression one gets is that citizens are aware of residents associations and housing co-operatives. What is definite is that these institutions have absolutely no idea of how to impart property rights knowledge to their members,” the report read.

Comaliso urged parliamentarians, senators and councillors to organise learning groups in their respective communities where the Constitution is discussed, especially sections on property rights.-newsday