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Talent Gore
THE project to digitalise title deeds is 90 percent complete and is expected to be fully operational by July.
The move from paper to digital will enable the Deeds Office to operate more quickly, ensuring buyers and their lawyers have faster checking processes.
The title deeds will also be harder to forge, reducing scams that have become common.
Zimbabwe’s Presidential Title Deeds and Settlement Regularisation Programme is also speeding up issuing title deeds and regularising holdings among victims of land barons.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, and Deeds Office chief registrar, Willie Mushayi, yesterday toured the newly-established Presidential Title Deeds Programme National Command Centre.
Government announced plans to issue title deeds to urban settlement dwellers through the Presidential Title Deeds and Settlement Regularisation Programme last year.
Minister Muswere said:
“The Presidential Title Deeds and Settlement Regularisation Programme is also aligned to some of the issues related to the securitisation of title deeds.
“The tour included understanding the architecture related to the production of securitised title deeds.
“The system will ensure that there’s a direct practical economic empowerment programme whereby all the families that have old properties but have never had an opportunity to transfer or to convert the ownership into title deeds will also be considered.”
Minister Ziyambi said the programme was shifting the title deeds from the bond paper title deeds to digital.
“As you are aware we have cases of people who were forging title deeds and selling properties of other people and this is a solution that President Mnangagwa is bringing to Zimbabweans to ensure that they sleep soundly knowing that their properties are secured and safe.
“We are happy and we hope that as a department we will work together with other relevant authorities to ensure that the process is expedited and that we can launch it very soon for the President to see his vision coming to fruition by way of this programme,” said Minister Ziyambi.
Mushayi said the title deeds system being developed was accessible even to members of the public.
“The intention is to simplify the ease of doing business and also conduct due diligence by prospectors, property owners and potential buyers.
“This system has been developed directly to respond to the needs of citizens to access information easily and directly to buyers, including investors, who want to verify certain information.
“Citizens will also be able to verify information, but they won’t be able to change or edit anything.
“At the back end, we are able to see who is seeking what and what information they are trying to access so we will be able to test it and the public will be able to participate in the process,” said Mushayi.
Online Reporter