Salutations
I welcome you all to TI-Z, and it is an honour to have this opportunity to make a few remarks on such an important occasion. As TI-Z, we have always believed in pursuing innovative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of the work we do. We are therefore thrilled that today, we are launching the Land Transparency Portal, marking a significant step in our ongoing commitment to enhance transparency and accountability within Zambia’s land sector through our Land and Corruption in Africa project. TI-Z is one of eight Chapters participating in this multi-country effort, which is generously supported by the German Government through the Transparency International secretariat in Berlin.
Ladies and gentlemen The Land and Corruption in Africa project aims to combat corruption in land governance, thereby contributing to the improved well-being of both men and women who depend on land. We recognize that land is at the heart of human activity and can have a transformative impact when tenure rights are upheld. Given the hallowed status of land as a critical resource for livelihoods and development, how land is governed is a potential area for corruption risks that particularly affect vulnerable segments of society such as women, youth, and the elderly.
Land governance encompasses the rules, processes, and structures governing access, use, decision-making, implementation, enforcement, and the management of competing interests in land. As an institution, we have been implementing this project in Chibombo, Choma, Mansa, and Kasempa districts, collaborating with different stakeholders, including government, to combat corruption in the land sector.
Ladies and gentlemen It is undeniable that land issues in Zambia are of paramount importance due to competing demands for housing, investment, mining, forestry, and agriculture. Furthermore, rural areas are rich in natural resources, leading to conflicts over land between investors and rural communities. Consequently, we face challenges
related to land tenure security, including customary land rights, displacements of local communities by urban elites or foreign investors, unequal access to land, and a lack of transparency and accountability, among other issues. Many individuals lack access to information on land administration, largely due to complex legal and procedural frameworks, ineffective dissemination of information by relevant authorities, illiteracy among certain segments of society, and deliberate exclusion of specific groups from accessing critical information.
Today’s launch of the Land Portal is one of our initiatives aimed at improving public knowledge regarding land acquisition procedures and processes in Zambia. To foster transparency and accountability in land administration and management, and to enhance the livelihoods of people and communities, the following three prerequisites are essential:
1) Access to information on land;
2) Awareness of land rights; and
3) Knowledge of how to assert these rights.
To this end, we have developed Information and Education Materials to empower individuals with information, awareness of their rights, and the means to claim these rights, enabling them to pursue their livelihoods freely. These materials have been translated into the four primary local languages spoken in the target districts, these being Lenje, Tonga, Bemba, and Kaonde. We are confident that citizens in the four target districts will find these materials useful in contributing to the protection of their land rights.
As I conclude, allow me to state that this achievement would not have been possible without the invaluable support and collaboration of the Zambian Government through the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, the Zambia Land Alliance, and the target communities. TI-Z is therefore indebted to all these stakeholders, and it is our fervent hope that we will all continue to push the boundaries of innovation in order to enhance transparency and accountability in Zambia’s land sector.
It is now my distinct privilege and honor to officially launch the Land Transparency Portal and its accompanying Information and Education Materials.
I thank you for your attention, and may the Almighty God bless us all.
