Land ownership drive excites communities

Community members in Chikwawa have expressed satisfaction with the land registration exercise being implemented in the district on a pilot phase.

Speaking on Monday during a verification exercise of land parcels in Traditional Authority Ngabu, Ida Harold said she was pleased to own land.

“I registered my piece of land. I am pleased to verify that everything is in order,” she said.

On his part, group village head Chizenga said land registration will reduce disputes in the area.

“Following the exercise, land grabbing will stop,” he said.

In his remarks, Ministry of Lands geographic information systems specialist Masida Mbano said it was important for people to verify their land boundaries and names before being issued with land ownership certificates.

He said: “The land registration exercise will be rolled out after the land review underway at the ministry.

“The report will be sent to Parliament for amendments.”

The verification exercise will take 60 days.

The ministry established land committees to oversee customary land issues in the districts.

The land registration exercise was implemented on a pilot phase in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts in the Southern Region with support from Agricultural Commercialisation Project.

The ministry has registered about 35 000 land parcels in eight pilot areas in the country with support from the European Union.

About 50 percent of land parcels have been registered by women.