Panel: Land reforms should come after inquiry

BY SHIRLYN BELDEN
PROGRESS on land reform in the country should await the completion of the final report of the special agricultural business leases inquiry, a panel of specialists said yesterday.
The panel said the inquiry should be completed first, with the final report compiled for the National Land Development Programme (NLDP) to implement an alternative for better land use in the country.
The panel consists of senior government officers from relevant agencies that are implementing the NLDP.
The implementing agencies of the NLDP are the Department of Lands and Physical Planning, Magisterial Services, Office of Urbanisation, Constitutional Law Reform Commission, Department of Community Development through the Office of Civil Registry, the Department of Treasury, Department National Planning and Monitoring, and the National Research Institute.
Programme manager Esekia Warvi said the major option for land reform was to get customary landowners to create incorporated land groups and register identified land for leasing.
He said this would go together with the national government’s desire for better land reform.
“The emphasis here is to get stakeholders be aware of the land reform progress that it is not distracted by recent controversies regrading the SABL’s interim report or otherwise.
“The NLDP is yet to sight the content of the COI’s final report then proceed with its tasks to facilitate land reform initiatives.
“And the major option NLDP is looking at is for customary landowners to create ILGs or to identify land, get it registered with titles for lease purposes,” he said.
A statement by the NLDP said there were serious flaws in the SABL administration and the ramifications and consequences of SABL land use to customary landowners.
The NLDP’s alternative empowers customary landowners to use their land for development purposes without sacrificing ownership and benefits of land use.
With the mandate to implement and progress the land reforms, the NLDP will use the findings of the inquiry for the next phase in its programmes and activities.