MOST houses in the high-density areas do not have title deeds since independence, former Zanu PF Minister Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana revealed. VENERANDA LANGA SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
He said this on Thursday while addressing delegates at a conference on constitutionalism that was organised by Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe in Harare.
Mangwana, who is former Copac co-chairperson, now runs a non-governmental organisation called Zimbabwe Property Owners Trust.
He said the new Constitution adequately dealt with the area of human rights, but there was no enforcement to the extent that in independent Zimbabwe owners of houses in high density areas still did not have title deeds.
Mangwana said it was embarrassing that after independence the country still discriminated its own citizens by denying them title deeds.
According to Mangwana, the former Ministry of Constitutional Affairs should have been allowed to continue to exist to ensure that the rights of people as enshrined in the constitution — including the rights to shelter — were implemented.
“On human rights, it is surprising that since 1980 houses in the high density areas have no title deeds and live in rented houses– and how do we talk of empowerment when there is discrimination of our people,” he said.
“This is discrimination in terms of social status because people in the low density areas are the ones that have title deeds, and that kind of discrimination is not acceptable in a country which has been independent for 30 years.”
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Mangwana said some high density dwellers had stayed in their houses for more than 60 years without title deeds.
“That is why I ended up joining civic society to ensure people know their rights to property. Today I am speaking to you as a common citizen and member of civic society,” he said.
