Sidumisile Mabena
Nqobile Bhebhe
Government’s commitment to providing secure property ownership through the issuance of title deeds continues to gain momentum, with Radar Properties handing over 31 title deeds to homeowners in the Kings City residential development on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
The move complements President Mnangagwa’s vision of issuing over one million title deeds to Zimbabweans as part of broader efforts to formalise property ownership and protect homeowners from fraudulent land dealings.
Title deeds provide legal certainty to property owners and have become a central pillar of Government’s housing and urban development agenda under the Second Republic.
In 2023, President Mnangagwa launched the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme Consortium, an initiative aimed at ensuring that homeowners across the country obtain legal ownership of their properties.
The programme seeks to address long-standing challenges where some residents have lived in untitled premises for decades, sometimes losing their homes to unscrupulous land barons due to the absence of formal ownership documents.
The majority of the beneficiaries at Kings City are Zimbabweans based in the diaspora, many of whom previously suffered losses due to the unreliability of some property developers.
Speaking at the handover ceremony on Friday, Umguza Rural District Council Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr Cosmas Nkomo said the issuance of title deeds is a critical step in confirming property ownership.
“We are proud to partner a developer who hands over title deeds to home owners. It confirms real ownership of a property to owners.
“We will assist the developer in every way possible.
“This is a big deal to have this development. It’s a city on its own that is growing,” he said.
Deputy Chief Registrar of the Deeds Office, Mr Thulani Sibanda, said the development reflects Government’s broader efforts to formalise housing ownership and expand access to secure property rights.
“We are formalising housing ownership. You are moving to being a homeowner and the deed is an investment and is a security tool that it legally recognised,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said the Deeds Office was modernising its systems as part of efforts to improve service delivery.
“The deeds office is going digital. We are migrating from manual to digital system,” he said.
He noted that private developers such as Radar Properties were playing a key role in supporting Government initiatives aimed at establishing organised and secure residential settlements.
Radar Properties managing director Mr Walter Zimunya said the handover of title deeds marks a major milestone for homeowners in the development.
“We thank you for your trust and patience. As Radar Properties, we are handing over 31 title deeds. A house is an investment but a title deed is a crucial piece of a document. There is no constatation over the land or property.
“The link between private developers and Government is key. We are both solving housing challenges in the country,” he said.
Mr Zimunya said the company was planning to deliver more than 10 000 residential stands as part of efforts to meet growing housing demand.
He added that plans were underway to establish a commercial centre and an industrial park within the estate this year to create a fully integrated community.
Radar Holdings Limited is spearheading the development of the self-contained Kings City residential estate, located along the Bulawayo–Gwanda Road.
The project, which is expected to deliver over 10 000 residential stands, has already seen some beneficiaries commencing construction on their properties.
The Kings City development feeds into Government’s broader national housing programme targeting the delivery million housing units by 2030.
Access to affordable and secure housing remains a cornerstone of the Second Republic’s vision to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy, with title deeds seen as a key instrument for empowering citizens through formal property ownership.
Online Reporter