Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Elijah Muchima has urged officials in his ministry to take keen interest in knowing how much land in the country is under customary and how much is under statutory if they are to be effective.
Speaking when he officially opened the multi stakeholders National Land Policy Implementation Plan Dialogue in Lusaka today, Mr. Muchima says the ministry needs to learn from other countries and be accountable and know what is available.
He notes that at the moment, Zambia land accountability has been a failure as the amount of land that is available is not monitored.
Mr. Muchima further notes that the Zambian population is growing, hence the need to manage land so that the future generations can also find land available as this land belongs to indigenous Zambians.
Speaking earlier, representative of the UN Zambia Resident Coordinator, Gift Malunga observed that the National Land Policy has come at an opportune time when the government is deliberately taking resources closer to the people through decentralization and devolution of functions from the Central to Local Government.
Ms Malunga adds that affirmative action to empower vulnerable and marginalised groups including women, youths and persons with disabilities to access secure land and sustainable use of natural resources could greatly contribute to local economies and sustainable development, leaving no one behind.