Agreement to roll out Presidential Title Deeds Programme signed
Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
Government departments and Kwangu/Ngakwami Trust have signed an agreement to pave the way for the
issuance of title deeds to more than 1.5 million housing units countrywide.
The agreement sets in motion rolling the Presidential Title Deeds Programme, with the Trust meant to bridge the financial gap to fund the requisite infrastructure for a community to qualify for title deeds.
Briefing journalists at the signing ceremony, teh Permanent Secretary for National Housing and Social Amenities, Engineer Tedious Chinyanga said an estimated 1.5 million housing units have no title deeds, hence the need to pave way for their issuance.
“We have properties that are in the asset books of local authorities and they are ready to be transferred into the names of those occupying them and they comply fully with the laws of the land. Three basic services such as road, water and sewer reticulation as well as a street address, a property with all these qualifies for a title deed.
“Kwangu Trust will mobilise funds that will be used to erect requisite infrastructure to ensure that there is compliance. In Epworth, there are 25 000 housing units which might require an estimate of between 40 and 50 million dollars, considering that this is a national project budgets are site specific,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary for Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Vimbai Nyemba highlighted that all relevant government departments are housed at the Deeds Office to ensure seamless interaction.
“The programme is on and it’s serious business. We have a command centre housing all departments under one roof and everything is digital,” she said.
The title deeds programme demands that all new settlements must comply with the country’s laws.
“As we regularise settlements, new settlements that are coming up must comply in every sense and every way to ensure that we remove these unplanned settlements with no social amenities,” said the Chief Director in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Shingirayi Mushamba.
The Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana says the Presidential Title Deeds Programme is apolitical and seeks to empower vulnerable communities.
“When this programme was launched last year in Epworth, many thought it was political, but it was also coincidental that it was an election year. It is a well-meaning programme meant to empower the deprived members of our communities. We are getting where we need to go such that with title deeds they can be bequeathed to future generations,” he said.
Kwangu/Ngakwami Trust chairperson Mr Muchadeyi Masunda noted that the title deeds will enable families to unlock funding for various income-generating projects.
“The Trust has seen it got to get involved. We are here to play our part towards one goal of making our country better. Infrastructure that you see in this country was built on the back of municipal bonds which are financial instruments for easy resource mobilisation,” he said.
The Presidential Title Deeds Programme was launched in Epworth and is cascading to other parts of the country, with settlements being regularised to pave way for the issuance of title deeds to deserving communities.
