Trust Freddy
THE Government is extending the Presidential Title Deeds Programme to high-density suburbs, including Glen View and Budiriro in Harare and Cowdray Park in Bulawayo.
The major property ownership reform is aimed at granting formal legal ownership to thousands of homeowners without title deeds.
The expansion will see Government apply the regularisation model used in Epworth to other high-density settlements, where many residents occupy residential properties without formal title deeds, leaving their ownership rights without the full legal recognition conferred by registered property titles.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said Government would first identify legitimate property occupants, regularise their occupation through the issuance of offer letters and subsequently grant them title deeds.
“We have the model that we were carrying out in Epworth, and we move into those areas so that we ensure that our landowners have title to the properties that they are occupying,” he said.
The initiative is expected to give homeowners greater security of tenure and enable them to unlock the economic value of their properties through legally recognised ownership.
Formal title deeds can also make it easier for property owners to use their properties as collateral when seeking financing, while providing a more secure basis for property transfers and inheritance.
The programme is part of broader Government efforts to regularise property ownership and improve land administration, particularly in established residential communities where the absence of formal title deeds has remained a longstanding challenge.
