Policy to control allocation of huge land

CHIEFS will now require the backing of at least 50 percent of their indunas to give out huge tracks of land once the draft National Land Policy is finalised, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Jean Kapata has said.

And Ms Kapata said once in place, the land policy would help to address some land wrangles and challenges that the country was facing.

“The earlier we put it in and reach an agreement with the stakeholders, the better for the country,” The minister said this in Parliament yesterday during the question for oral answer session response to Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament Jonas Chanda, who wanted to find out on progress being made with regards to the Draft National Land Policy. Ms Kapata noted that the practice by some traditional leaders to sell land without consulting their indunas had left many subjects displaced.

“No chief will give out land without signatures of 50 percent of the indunas in that particular chiefdom. The chiefs rejected the first draft national land policy because they felt Government wanted to take away some of their powers. We will soon engage the House of Chiefs and we are hopeful that our chiefs will this time accept our proposals,” she said.

The minister also disclosed that the Ministry of Lands expects to finalise the National Land Policy in the third quarter of 2019.

She said the Ministry had since put in place a road map, to expedite the process.

“The Ministry will reconsti tute the technical committee which would finalise editing of the document and it will provide the guidance on the decision points that would be agreed upon for inclusion to the revision of the draft Nation Land Policy. This would be undertaken before the end of the second quarter of 2019.