Failure to effectively implement existing land laws is fuelling informal land markets and undermining orderly development, experts have warned Parliament.
Managing Partner for Real Estate Talk, Atusaye Kanyenda, raised the concern during an engagement with Parliament’s Committee on Public Infrastructure on land administration and management reforms.
Kanyenda said weak enforcement and slow application of land laws have left demand unmet, creating gaps that are increasingly filled by informal and unregulated land transactions.
He noted that although key legislation such as the Customary Land Act and the Physical Planning Act is already in place, the laws remain largely underutilised despite offering tools like tenure security and proof of ownership.
Kanyenda said the failure to operationalise these laws has prevented land from being repositioned as a core economic asset at a time of rapid population growth and rising pressure on available land.
He added that customary land certificates could help address the problem by enabling landholders to use land as collateral to access finance, boosting household incomes and national economic growth, while initiatives by Real Estate Talk aim to simplify complex land laws for ordinary citizens.
Committee Chairperson Lincoln Liwonde said Parliament supports stronger collaboration to align land policies with investment goals and commended efforts that improve public understanding of land administration issues.
