LAND researcher Dr Priscilla Nsama has called […]

LAND researcher Dr Priscilla Nsama has called for the reform of the Ministry of Lands, saying its operations need to be overhauled to improve efficiency in the issuance of title deeds and resolution of land disputes.

Nsama said the ministry could draw lessons from the reforms undertaken in the health sector and the overhaul of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA).

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Nsama raised concerns over what she described as inefficiencies within the ministry, particularly in the handling of land disputes and issuance of title deeds.

She also called for stronger measures to address corruption within the ministry, arguing that corrupt practices contribute to delays and disruptions in land administration.

“But we also need to fasten our belt in terms of corruption, because the corruption is what causes disruptions. We should deal with the ministry the way the Ministry of Health has been dealt with. People will start being afraid of corruption. The delay is not about the system; it is the people,” Nsama said.

Meanwhile, according to a Ministry of Lands statement seen by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, the Lands Tribunal has been decentralised to improve the effectiveness of dispute resolution across the country.

 However, Nsama said while decentralisation was a step in the right direction, it needed to be accompanied by reforms at the ministry’s main offices. “The problem is not so much the council, and as they decentralise, they need to work with the councils and the main ministry as well because there is a workload,” she said.

Article by Samuel Mutale