Surveyors have called for increased public sensitisation on land acquisition procedures to help curb disputes arising from duplicate titles and scrupulous land transactions.
Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times (ZBT), Surveyor Suwilanji Kantu said many land disputes occur because members of the public are not adequately informed about the proper procedures for acquiring and converting traditional land.
Kantu said land acquisition, particularly in customary areas, requires buyers to follow the appropriate channels, including obtaining consent from the traditional authority before proceeding with surveying and title conversion.
He explained that the process generally starts with obtaining consent and being recorded in the village register, followed by a survey to establish the coordinates and preparation of a site plan and map for the subsequent conversion process.
Kantu said bypassing traditional authorities and going directly to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources can create situations where chiefs and local communities are unaware that a particular piece of land has already been processed and titled.
He said such gaps in information can contribute to cases where more than one person lays claim to the same piece of land.
“Some of the reasons why this happens is that people do not follow the right channels,” Kantu said.
He said following the proper procedures could help reduce cases of duplicate titles because traditional authorities would have records of land allocations and consent granted to individuals.
Kantu further urged local authorities and other institutions involved in land transactions to ensure that proper procedures are followed when allocating or selling land.
He cited Kazungula as one of the areas that has experienced disputes involving duplicate land claims, while calling for greater transparency in land transactions.
Kantu said increased public education was therefore necessary to ensure that people understand the process of acquiring land and converting customary land into titled property.
He also cautioned members of the public against engaging unqualified individuals when seeking surveying services.
“People should be educated on knowing who to go to and how to go about it because there are a lot of surveyors out there and they can easily be scammed,” he said.
Kantu advised members of the public intending to engage surveyors to ensure that they work with licensed surveyors, registered planners and registered companies so that the professionals can be easily verified and followed up if disputes arise.
He said increased sensitisation on land acquisition procedures, combined with greater adherence to established processes by relevant institutions, could help reduce land disputes and protect property owners.
Article by Samuel Mutale
