Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira and Precious Manomano
THE Government has launched a new digital land administration platform, allowing farmers and landowners to process title deeds online. This initiative marks a significant step towards modernising land documentation, aimed at reducing fraud and enhancing transparency across the sector.
In March, President Mnangagwa launched a programme to issue title deeds to farmers who benefitted from the Land Reform Programme. This initiative aims to grant full ownership rights to beneficiaries, with implications for land ownership, bankability, and agricultural development.
Previously, farmers could apply for title deeds physically. However, under the new system, applications can now be submitted electronically via WhatsApp or email from any location. The online registration process is expected to improve time efficiency, streamline transactions, and safeguard valuable land documents.
The introduction of the online registration system was announced by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, through a Statutory Instrument published in the Government Gazette last Friday. The regulations also outline a nominal fee structure, payable either electronically or online.
“Digital Land Administration Platform (DLAP)” means an automated land administration system that allows online processing of deeds and documents… Fees referred to in subsection (1) shall be payable using either the manual process specified in the Second Schedule or the Digital Land Administration System (DLAP) specified in the Fourth Schedule,” reads the notice.
In an interview, the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said the online registration would save farmers the cost of travelling to Harare or provincial capitals where the ministry has established one-stop centres.
He noted that more than 5 000 farmers had visited ministry offices to enquire about title deeds, and the online system would now offer them the convenience of accessing information from their homes.
“So far, we still have people walking into the one-stop centres, but all that will now change. Farmers can now get their title deeds from anywhere—even from the comfort of their homes—because the process is now largely online.
The data form can be completed from any location, and verifications can be submitted via WhatsApp or email for processing without the farmer’s physical presence,” said Prof Jiri.
He said that the process to assist farmers in securing mortgages was progressing well, following Government’s partnership with five financial institutions.
“So the process can also begin with a farmer approaching their bank. We are working with five banks—AFC, ZB, CBZ, POSB, and FBC. These banks now fully understand the requirements for providing farmers with mortgages. So it’s all systems go in terms of title deeds.
“I also want to highlight the growing interest from farmers who are using these title deeds as collateral to access financing. There are also exciting developments targeting specific farmer categories, including A1 farmers and irrigation schemes in the pipeline. All of these are rooted in the title deed programme. We are now shifting focus from land redistribution to land utilisation and productivity,” Prof Jiri said.
Online processing of land title deeds offers numerous advantages, including enhanced security, time efficiency, reduced costs, and improved transparency.
By transitioning from physical paper records to digital systems, governments can better protect valuable property documents, streamline transactions, and make information more accessible to the public.
Digital title deeds are more secure and less susceptible to manipulation than paper documents. In addition to modernising the system, the digital process will make land registration more efficient and transparent.
The digital system will continue to operate under the framework of the Deeds Registries Act (Chapter 20:05), ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
