Zambia’s Land administration says it will from June computerize its operations to enable the government to capture data in a move aimed at eradicating corruption in the department.
The Zambian government will install the computerized land administration system at the lands ministry to monitor land allocation. The ministry will afterwards conduct massive countrywide land audit.
This comes one week after Zambia’s President Michael Sata criticised the country’s land administration system for having high levels of corruption.
Installing of the computerised lands administration system, according to the Lands Minister Wilbur Simuusa, is a strong move to curb the vice.
He later expressed his concern over the country’s weak land policies and laws by proposing an amendment.
“The ministry will therefore begin to review the Land Act and strengthen it to ensure that it begins to serve the interests of Zambians,” Simuusa said.
Simuusa further insisted on the need for harmonisation of the laws governing customary and state land.
According to Sata, the laws which state that Zambians need to be given priority when it comes to land allocation, as opposed to the current situation where most of the land gazetted as markets has been taken up by foreigners is crucial.
Simuusa hopes that once the electronic system is in place, it would be easy for the government to track down foreigners who may have applied for lands meant for Zambians.
The system will do away with paperwork, which according to the minister is often tempered by officials from the Lands Ministry.
