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Columbus Mabika   and Talent Chimutambgi
At  least 100 000 households in Harare South are set to receive title deeds to their residential stands with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Property Owners Trust (ZIPOT) as soon as regularisation is complete, a zanu-pf Politburo member has said.

ZIPOT is a civic society organisation which seeks to ensure that every Zimbabwean who has a house or stand, has title deeds to that property.

Speaking during the launch of the ZIPOT programme in Harare South yesterday, zanu-pf secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said the process was a national programme to correct colonial disparities which saw residents in most high-density suburbs failing to get title deeds.

“This is a national project starting here in Harare South whose main thrust is to assist residents in underdeveloped areas to obtain title deeds, since about 90 percent of houses in high density areas have no title deeds,” he said.

“At least 100 000 households in this constituency are going to obtain documents for their homes.”

Cde Mangwana said the absence of title deeds had disqualified many people from participating in mainstream economic activities such as income generating projects as deeds act as collateral security in obtaining capital.

“Banks usually require title deeds in order for one to access loans and credit facilities, most of our people are excluded from such facilities,” he said.

“Government is motivated to ensure that people get these title deeds to actively participate in economic activities aimed at developing our country.”

Speaking during the same event, Harare South legislator Cde Tongai Mnangagwa said he had already started working on programmes to regularise settlements in the constituency.

He said those in areas planned for other amenities such as schools and hospitals would be relocated.

Cde Mnangagwa said he was investigating land disputes in his constituency, unearthing and bringing to end the land baron menace in Harare South.

“Harare South is no exception to land audit,” he said. “We are working with the land commission appointed by the President to ensure accountability, fairness and transparency in the administration of land.

“The problem of land barons will be a thing of the past very soon and the long arm of the law will catch up with them.”