Govt gets tough on land illegalities

SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes@sunzambianTHE national land titling will be done alongside the land audit to curb illegalities in the country, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Jean Kapata has said.The initiative is backed by Government’s resolve to accelerate social and economic development through regularizing ownership of untitled properties in towns and cities as well as eradicating inequalities in gaining access to land.Ms Kapata said Government would not allow people to build their structures on any open space, without establishing what the land was reserved for.The minister observed that many people were taking advantage of the fact that, some squatters had been given titles so that they could legally own the pieces of land, a situation she said would no longer be the case.The national land titling programme would also help promote security of tenure of land in Zambia and at the same time ensure that land was documented fairly.According to the Ministry of Lands, there had never been a comprehensive regularization of informal settlements and systematic land registration in Zambia.“Illegalities of land will not be tolerated in this country, not anymore. A lot of people have been disadvantaged by criminals who sell land through dubious means and leaving them on the street. We want to create the path that will lead people to doing the right thing,” she said.Ms Kapata called on all citizens to always verify with her ministry to establish true ownership of land before making any transactions. The Sun