Source: Govt puts 360 000 land parcels on digital map – herald
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
RECORDS of over 360 000 land parcels across Zimbabwe will be digitised as part of an exercise that is meant to replace Zimbabwe’s reliance on paper-based records with a central electronic database that will make it easier to verify land ownership and establish property boundaries.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos said the digitisation programme was underway and covered the ministry’s wider records, including files relating to land disputes.
The authorities are set to launch an e-Cadastre system, which is essentially a digital map and database of Zimbabwe’s land showing individual land parcels, their boundaries and other important information.
Minister Haritatos said the country’s reliance on written records had created difficulties in resolving disputes and implementing the Government’s title deeds programme.
The digital system, he said, would have checks and balances to minimise human error and prevent unauthorised changes to property boundaries.
The digitisation of land records is part of the broader land administration reforms, which include the Digital Land Administration Platform (DLAP). The platform is designed to allow landowners and farmers to process, validate and apply for title documents electronically, reducing the need for lengthy manual processes.
The Government has also promulgated Statutory Instrument 76 of 2025, which provides for the validation of existing paper-based title deeds and their conversion into modern digital documents within a 24-month period.
The new digital title deeds have enhanced security features, including unique serial numbers, holograms, micro-text and QR codes linked to the national digital registry, making them more difficult to forge or alter.
Minister Haritatos encouraged holders of old title deeds, including those issued before the Land Reform Programme, to come forward and have their documents converted.
He also dismissed claims that property owners risk having their land taken over by the Government if they fail to digitise existing title deeds.
The broader reforms also include the Presidential Title Deeds Programme, which seeks to regularise informal settlements and provide residents with secure and bankable ownership documents. The programme is targeting areas including Epworth, Chitungwiza and Southlea Park.
The Government is simultaneously upgrading equipment and offices in Harare while decentralising capacity to provinces and districts so officials can access and work with the digital land database.
The e-Cadastre is also expected to strengthen Government’s monitoring of land use, including mining activities taking place within agricultural areas.
Minister Haritatos said a more reliable land administration system was critical to attracting investment and accelerating agricultural transformation.
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