Financial institutions will soon be digitally linked to Zimbabwe’s Deeds Office, enabling them to verify property ownership in real time as part of a...
HARARE — Financial institutions will soon be digitally linked to Zimbabwe’s Deeds Office, enabling them to verify property ownership in real time as part of a government programme to modernise title deeds and combat property fraud.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced the initiative while responding to questions from legislators during a recent question-and-answer session in the National Assembly.
The digital link will allow banks to access information on changes in ownership of immovable property, helping them verify the authenticity of title deeds presented by customers applying for mortgages or loans secured by property.
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According to Minister Ziyambi, the move forms part of a broader programme to migrate from paper-based title deeds to a secure computerised system designed to reduce fraud and protect property owners.
“This is a very good programme that will put safeguards to ensure that we protect properties for all of us by migrating from a paper-based system of title deeds production to one which is computer-based, which is securitised,” he said.
He added that financial institutions would be able to verify ownership directly through the Deeds Office system.
“We will even have links to banks whereby if somebody is selling a property and you go to a bank, the bank will have a user code that will access our system and be able to view and satisfy themselves that this is authentic,” Minister Ziyambi said.
The minister said the current manual system at the Deeds Office remains vulnerable to manipulation, making it easier for fraudsters working with corrupt officials to alter ownership records and illegally transfer properties.
He noted that the digital system is intended to eliminate such weaknesses by providing secure and traceable electronic records of ownership.
Minister Ziyambi cited the case of former Cabinet minister Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka, who almost lost his Highlands home through an alleged fraudulent property transfer involving officials at the Deeds Office.
To strengthen accountability, Government has decided that property owners seeking to validate and securitise their title deeds must do so through registered conveyancers.
“We felt that everyone owning a property and a title deed must go to their conveyancer and that conveyancer, should anything happen, becomes the responsible person who will be held accountable so that we exclude those that may steal other people’s title deeds,” he said.
The minister said the new computerised system would create an electronic record showing who accessed property records or processed ownership transfers, making it easier to detect fraudulent activity.
Responding to concerns raised by Bulawayo North legislator Minenhle Gumede about access for low-income earners, pensioners and people living with disabilities, Minister Ziyambi said Government had made provisions through the Legal Aid Directorate for those unable to afford legal services.
“If you do not have one, the Government has a Legal Aid Directorate. We will do some tests to say that this programme is being done, but I am an indigent person. They will do a test to see whether you are unable to pay or not,” he said.
He also dismissed calls for additional public consultations, arguing that the programme was introduced in response to widespread complaints from property owners who had lost their homes through fraudulent title deed transfers.
Government has already begun inviting holders of older title deeds to approach the Deeds Office for verification before being issued with secure digital title deeds.
The same digital securitisation programme is also being applied to agricultural land, with farmers receiving title deeds as part of broader efforts to strengthen security of tenure and support increased agricultural production.
