Govt targets barring land ownership by foreigners
By Staff Reporter
The government has proposed that access to land by foreigners be regulated.
Unveiling the draft land policy this morning, lands minister Jean Kapata said the government was also reviewing existing long term land leases.
she said the idea for reviewing long term leases was that owners could not sell such land without consulting and getting approval from the ministry.
Kapata said the state wanted to restrict ownership of land, both state and customary to Zambians only.
This is the first comprehensive land policy framework since the country’s independence in 1964, and if adopted
it would only provide for sub-leasing and renting of land only by non Zambians.
“To date, land policy was in form of Ministerial Statements in Parliament, Presidential pronouncements and the Administrative Circular No 1, 1985 that has guided the system of land allocation and the Lands Act of 1995, the principle land legislation,” Kapata said in Lusaka this morning.
“This national land policy primarily seeks to promote equitable access to land to all the people of Zambia on state and customary land, for both poor and the wealthy and irrespective of gender. Zambia will replace all leases for 14 and 30 year term with 99 year renewable Leasehold Titles subject to meeting terms and conditions in the lease agreement and the relevant legislation for Zambian citizens only.”
The policy would also, among others, provide for lease period for investment projects which shall be tied to the period of the licenses and concessions for the planned developments.
