Presented at the Country Learning Exchange held during the 7th GLTN Partners meeting 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya.

1. Securing Tenure Rights In
Customary Settings: Experiences
From Chamuka Chiefdom.
Chisamba, Zambia
by
David Katungula

2. Project Area
• Chamuka chiefdom is located in
Chisamba District in Zambia’s Central
Province.
• The chiefdom covers a spatial extent of
approximately three (300,000) hundred
thousand hectares and is divided into
207 villages.
• It’s one of 288 chiefdoms that form the
country’s rural landscape.

3. Land Tenure Challenges
• Zambia has dual land tenure systems
namely; statutory tenure and customary
tenure.
• 70% of all land is under customary
tenure.
• Customary land is the least secure type
of tenure largely due to the absence of
clear boundaries and documented
evidence.
• Inhabitants of customary land are
susceptible to forced evictions,
displacements, and protracted land
disputes.
• These vices threaten peace and food
security as the livelihoods of rural
people largely depend on land.
• Women and children are the most
affected

4. Key interventions
• Implementation of the Social Tenure Domain
Model (STDM) to map and document land rights
in Chamuka chiefdom.
• Engaging in community dialogues to sensitize the
locals and their leaders on STDM
implementation
• Issuance of customary land certificates in the
chiefdom.
• Ongoing local-to-local dialogue sessions on land
between locals and their leaders
Phase one of the project covered only one village
(Bulemu) in 2016.
Phase two, (September 2017 to March 201),
covered 10 villages; Kaputula, Shipunga,
Musumali, Kasheta, Mukobola, Chipembe,
Ndililwa, Mponge, Mwanampaya and Chisaka

5. The Process
The key processes in the
implementation of STDM in
Chamuka chiefdom were;
a) Stakeholder
engagement &
community
mobilization.
b) Training of community
volunteers in STDM.
c) Data collection &
processing
Village profiles
Household enumeration
Boundary mapping
Data entry/CAD/GIS
Digitization
d) Issuance of customary
land certificates

6. Key Findings
• There are 3,584 people in the 11 villages out of which
2042 are female representing 57% of the total
population.
• There are 601 households in all the 11 villages of
which 209 (35%) are female headed.
• 578 land parcels were successfully mapped.
• A total of 231 (40%) inter –family boundary disputes
were and later resolved through community mediation
processes.
• A total 104 intra-family land succession/inheritance
were recorded of which 69 (66%) directly involved
widowed women. 103 were resolved.
• 8 village boundary disputes were recorded and all of
them were successfully resolved.
209, 35%
392, 65%
Households
Female headed Male headed

7. Achievements
• 40 Certificates of Customary Land
Occupancy were issued under phase
one.
• Of 538 land parcels captured under
phase two, 311 have already been
validated and awaiting issuance.
• The remaining 227 are currently being
validated.
• 3,584 people will enjoy secure land
tenure in Chamuka
• More than 50 community Para-
surveyors in the 11 villages trained.
• All recorded land disputes were
amicably resolved using appropriate
traditional channels except for one
intra-family land ownership dispute in
Kaputula village.

8. Emerging Outcomes
• There is enhanced transparency and
accountability in the governance of
customary land at all levels of authority.
• The gap in the ownership of land
between men and women has reduced.
More men are now receptive to women
owning land.
• The issue of forced evictions,
displacements and disinheritance
especially for women upon the demise
of their spouses has now reduced.
Fostina Chandwe
Certificate of Customary Land receipient

9. Emerging Outcomes
• Good working relationship with the government through the
Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) cultivated.
• The STDM tool and process has also been hailed as a perfect
fit into the National Land Titling Programme
• The project has secured land rights for approximately 3,584
people, among whom 2042 (57%) are women
• The processes in Chamuka have provided a platform for the
discussion on land issues and other broader developmental
aspects affecting the villages
• Potential land grabs have been kept at bay; certificates have
given the community power to engage potential investors and
defend their right to land where need be; 5 families in Bulemu
village have negotiated the leasing of their land to investors
for the establishment of a solar farm.
1542,
43%2042,
57%
Captured population
Male
Female

10. Lessons learnt
• The project demonstrates the
efficacy of community driven
initiatives in strengthening
customary land governance.
• It is possible to formalize and
register land rights for people
occupying customary land
without taking away the
power and authority of
traditional leaders.
• STDM is an essential tool in
providing a platform for
traditional authorities and
their subjects to come
together for the common
good.

11. Conclusions/Way forward
• PPHPZ will continue engaging government, the House of Chiefs and
other key stakeholders in the land sector to adopt the certification of
customary land in the final Land Policy which is currently under review.
• At the legislative level PPHPZ plans to push for the enactment of
legislation that will see introduction of a standardized format of
documenting and certifying customary land by traditional authorities.
• PPHPZ also plans to hold a national conference involving government
and all the 288 chiefs in Zambia to discuss customary land certification
drawing on experiences from the pilot project.
• Scale up interventions by reaching out to other villages in the chiefdom
and eventually country wide.
• Train more community members in Para Surveying in order to reach
scale

12. Thank You….!!!!!!
Thank you …..!!!!!