ZANU PF’s Title Deed Promises Struggle to Materialize

Ahead of Zimbabwe’s August 2023 election, ZANU PF pledged title deeds to secure votes, a move aimed at bringing legitimacy to thousands of illegal settlements across the nation.

This promise was designed to address over 80,000 illegal structures and protect tenants from the looming threat of demolition.

Despite these assurances, the pace of title deed issuance has lagged. NewsDay reports that only 11,000 title deeds have been granted, primarily within Epworth, a densely populated area in Harare, highlighting the slow progress of this ambitious regularization effort.

ZANU PF’s commitment, touted as a sweeping reform, has faltered under scrutiny, raising questions about its effectiveness and impact.

Title deeds, which legally affirm property ownership and transfer rights, remain elusive for many. Numerous residents hold claims to land provided by alleged land barons, many of whom have reported links to the ruling party, yet they lack formal documentation.

This ongoing issue reflects a complex landscape of unregulated land transactions and political entanglements.

Before the 2023 election, the Zimbabwean Cabinet had greenlighted the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme Consortium, established to deliver both financial and technical backing for this regularization endeavor.

However, the recent distribution numbers fall significantly short of the government’s initial target, exposing delays that have prompted public outcry.

Lands Minister Anxious Masuka recently addressed Parliament, acknowledging the limited progress in deed distribution.

Out of Epworth’s entire population, only 11,000 residents have received formal titles to date.

Masuka also mentioned forthcoming efforts to extend this program to other high-density areas like Caledonia, yet the execution has stirred growing skepticism among lawmakers and citizens alike.

Masuka’s statement also pointed to conflicting signals: despite assurances from the government about regularizing settlements, some residents face eviction notices.

This contradiction has fueled concerns about the government’s commitment to ensuring stability for these communities.

Zimbabwe’s history of evictions has intensified these anxieties. Between 2020 and 2021, numerous informal settlements in Harare and Chitungwiza were demolished, inflicting severe losses on property owners and traders, many of whom had staked their livelihoods on informal housing structures.

This cycle has continued as municipalities take a firm stance against illegal structures, particularly those built on ecologically sensitive areas like wetlands.

A critical report from the Justice Tendai Uchena Land Commission of Inquiry, delivered to President Mnangagwa in December 2019, provided a stark picture of the issue.

The report revealed that land developers, leaders of housing cooperatives, and politically connected individuals illicitly sold urban State land valued at approximately US$3 billion, leading to a proliferation of unregulated settlements.

The situation is especially pronounced in the Harare Metropolitan Province, where illegal settlements are rampant.

Government data from 2023 suggests around 52,000 properties in Harare alone are part of such developments, with a substantial 25,000 of these in Chitungwiza.

Critics have voiced concerns over what they perceive as political motivations behind ZANU PF’s title deed promise.

Some allege that the ruling party selectively focuses on regularizing areas under its influence to shore up electoral support.

These accusations paint a picture of a strategy that, while addressing housing issues, may also serve as a calculated bid for political advantage.

As the ZANU PF-led government moves to implement its title deed promises, questions remain about the program’s ultimate reach and the realities for thousands still waiting.

Whether this initiative will achieve meaningful reform or remains a piecemeal response to broader land management challenges remains an open question in Zimbabwe’s political landscape.