FUNCTIONS OF LANDS DEPARTMENT

The Lands Department is comprised of the following:

(a) Land Administration section;

(b) Estates and Valuation Section;

(c) The Legal Section; and

(d) Folios Section.

8.1. FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT

(a) Land Administration Unit

(i) To ensure that new parcels of land required for development are properly planned by Local Authorities, Provincial Planning Office and Department of Field Services in the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Department of Resettlement at the Office of the Vice President;

(ii) To advise the Ministry on Land Administration, Land Policy and Legal Reforms as well as perform other duties relevant to land such as negotiating, drawing up and executing documents where the Ministry is required to do so;

(i) To prepare and execute documents relating to land administration and management;

(b) Estates and Valuation Unit

(i) To manage Government Property portfolios such as keeping an up-to-date register of Government Properties;

(i) To manage the landlord and tenant relationship for

Government rented premises and vice-versa;

(ii) To valuate for the Government in instances where the Government required capital valuations for the properties it either wants to dispose off or purchase and for Government Institutions for paying rent for employees;

(iii) To manage the lesser and lessee relationship, that is, between the President as the custodian of all stateland and members of the public;

(iv) To monitor compliance of the development clause in the offer letter and the collection of annual ground rent from lessees;

(v) To monitor compliance of the development clause in the offer letter through the physical property inspections and preparation of reports thereafter;

(vi) To conduct inspections that are required before repossessions and other actions such as re-entries are effected by the Legal Section; and

(vii) To collect ground rent this is carried out in all the districts and is facilitated by the Regional Offices in the Provincial Headquarters.

(c) Legal Unit

(i) To prepare consents. All transferees and assignees should be eligible to hold land in Zambia and the applicants for the consent should be bonafide owners of such properties;

(ii) To prepare certificates of incorporation; and

(iii) To manage repossessions and court cases.

(d) Folios Unit

Its functions are:-

(i) Noting and plotting on maps sent by Planning Authorities, District Councils and Land Use Planning;

(ii) Checking of encroachment on the maps;

(iv) Checking of the status of land, that is; is it available for allocation or not;

(v) Measuring on maps or site plans;

(vi) Changing of scales (conversions);

(vii) Map reading which helps officers and the public identify properties;

(viii) Inspection of properties; and

(ix) Miscellaneous work as assigned by supervisors.