Govt directs councils to allocate 50% of land to women

Government has directed all councils in the country to allocate 50 percent land to women.

Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Christabel Ngimbu says all local authorities should adhere to this directive.

The Minister disclosed this in parliament today shortly before the House adopted the Report on the Committee on Lands, Environment and Tourism for the Fifth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.

She says a Gender Focal Point Person has been placed at her

ministry who will work closely with the Ministry of gender to ensure more women have access to land.

Ms. Ngimbu also revealed that government will soon come up with a statutory Instrument to be called mortgage value to benefit the Zambian people so that they access and own land.

She further stated that her ministry is developing the land policy which is currently in draft form.

Ms. Ngimbu says stakeholders such as chiefs would be called upon at an appropriate time to make submissions to the draft land policy.

And presenting the report, Lands,Environment and Tourism Committee Chairperson Rodgers Mwewa says land is a vital natural resource which the people of Zambia should acquire and own by virtue of being indigenous citizens.

Mr. Mwewa called on government to ensure that land is easily accessed by Zambians.

He however, commended government for the strides it is making to make land accessible to Zambians.