LANDADMINISTRATIONIN

ZAMBIA
CurrentLandPolicyOnCustomary
LandAdministrationInZambia
by
HRHImfumuChibesakundaXI Zambia
 CurrentLandPolicyOnCustomary
LandAdministrationInZambia
TheGovernmentpolicyonCustomaryLandadministrationisnotin oneconstitutivedocumentbutfound
inseverallaws,Presidentialdecrees,andMinisterialCirculars andCabinetcirculars.ThePolicycanbe
summarisedasfollows:

AllLandinZambiaisvestedintheRepublicanPresident.Section3oftheLandsAct.
WhatisclassifiedasCustomaryLandtodayhasitsgenesisin1928and1947respectively.Customaryland
isacombinationofwhatusedtobeNativeReservesandNativeTrustlandscreatedbyOrdersinCouncilof
1928and1947respectively.Effectivelythecategorizationofwhatistodayknownascustomarylandwas
aresultofthecolonialGovernmentclassifyinglandbasedontheirpolicyofsegregationwhichisolatedthe
nativepopulation.
OvertheYearsonlythenameshavechangedintermsofwhatitiscalledbuttheboundariesremain
exactlythesame.
HistoricallyNolandhaseverbeenvestedinaChieffromthecomingofthecolonialGovernmentto
Zambiain1889.Beforeindependence,theNativeReservesandNativeTrustlandswerevestedinthe
SecretaryforTerritories(AnequivalentoftheMinister)whereasCrownlandwasvestedintheKingatthe
time.
Atindependencein1964,thevestmentwastransferredfromtheCrown/KingandtheSecretaryfor
TerritoriesrespectivelytothePresidentofZambia.
AllNativereservesandnativeTrustlandswerenowvestedinthe presidentasat1964.Owingtothefact
thatBarotselandwasneitheraReserveNoraTrustlandunderthe1928and1947laws,alllandexcept
BarotselandwasvestedinthePresident.In1970,alawcalledtheWesternProvince(Landand
MiscellaneousProvisions)ActdeclaredformerBarotseland(WesternProvince)asaReserveunderthe
Zambia(Reserves)Order1928to1964Act.EffectivelyalllandwasnowvestedinthePresident.
Overtheyears,CustomaryTenurehasbeenrecognisedbutnoformaldocumentationisavailablethatis
officiallyrecognisedbygovernment.
Section8oftheCurrentlandsActallowsforconversionfromCustomarytoLeaseholdTenure.
Thecircularsthathavebeenissuedoverthe50yearsofindependencehavebeenaboutlimitingthesize
oflandthatcanbealienatedbyaChiefbuthavenevergivenguidelinesonhowcustomarytenurecanbe
bestadministeredwithouttheneedtoconverttoleaseholdtenure.
 CurrentLandPolicyOnCustomary
LandAdministrationInZambia
(contd)
Customarytenureisuncodedorunwrittenmakingitdifficultto
defineasitdiffersfromChiefdomtoChiefdom.
ChiefsareexpectedtoGrantConsentwhenevercustomarylandis
offeredtobeconvertedtoleaseholdtenure.Consentwas
introducedbytheWhitecolonialGovernmentwhichworkedin
suchawaythatthewhitesettlersweregivenafurtherwindowto
acquirelandoutsidetheCrownland.Inthatsituationtherewas a
requirementfortheWhitepersontoseektheConsentofthelocal
Chief.ThecircumstancesofpresentdayZambiahavedrastically
changed,theUrbandwellersarenotforeignbutlocal.The
procedureforconsentapplicationhasbeenmaintainedfrom1928.
ThestatusquoontheapplicationofConsentfromtheChiefisthat
aBlackZambianinurbanareasoroutsideachiefdomistreatedthe
samewasbylawasthewhitesettler.
 LandTenureSystemInZambia
Zambiahasaduallandtenuresystem.The2systemsare
customarytenureandleaseholdtenure.Section7oftheLandsAct
1995recognisestheexistenceofcustomarytenureinZambia.
TherebeennodevelopmentinCustomarytenurecomeswithuser
rightsbutinmostchiefdomsdoesnotprovidetheholderadefined
rightthatisreducedonsomepaper.

TheZambianGovernmenthasrecognisedthisshortfallandtheLate
PresidentMichaelChilufyaSatadirectedthatSecurityofTenure for
CustomaryLandshallbeprovided.Inthe50yearsofZambias
IndependencetherehasneverbeenaGovernmentthathasmadea
commitmenttolookintotheplightoftheVulnerablevillagerswho
usuallyhavenovoice.AstheLandpolicydevelopmentprocess
takesshape,theissuesarethatthereisneedtolookathowthe2
landtenuresystems(i.e.Customaryandleasehold)can
comfortablybeharmonised,ifpossible.
 CustomaryTenureinZambia:
Challengesandopportunities
WiththeGovernmentofficiallyannouncingadesiretoprovide
securityofTenuretoallcustomaryland,thereisawindowofhope
forallcustomarylandsettlers,whohithertohavenotbeenable to
accessloansandotherfundsavailableonthemarket.
ThelandPolicydevelopmentprocessinZambiaisthereforetaking
theshapewhereakeyquestionistoberesolvedHowcansecurity
oftenurebeprovidedforCustomaryAreaswithoutdisregarding
Customarytenure?TheharmonisationofLeaseholdtenureand
CustomarytenureremainstheNo.1focusofthereformprocess.
HithertoForeigninvestorshavecometoZambiaexpectingto
investandemployZambiansaslabourers.Thisisquicklychanging
withVillagersandTraditionalAuthoritiesadvocatingEquitySharein
theinvestmentsproposed.Althoughthearrangementshavenot
beenformalised,itisadevelopmentmodelthatseeksto
encouragePrivatePublicPartnerships(PPP).
 TheBanglaMutambeAgriFarms
BusinesModel
InpostcolonialZambia,successiveZambianGovernmentshavefacedanenduringchallengeofhowto
provide development to the people in the rural areas. The problem has simply been that, they have
failed to mobilize adequate and appropriate financing to fund rural development projects that will
ultimately position the ordinary citizen to be empowered for purposes of production, circulation of
goodsandcapital.

However in an effort to reverse this problem, the current Zambian government has come up with a
different development approach which places emphasis on the individual Zambian citizens within
Chiefdomsasoperationstructuresfordevelopmentadministration anddelivery.Underthenewpolicy,
thevisionisthateachindividualChiefdomcomesupwithstrategiesandoperationalprogrammesthat
wouldimprovethequalityoftheindividual.

ThatiswhyeachChiefdomhastoidentifyanagriculturalproject(s),industrialvalueaddingproject(s),
miningproject(s),and/ortourismprojectwithasubstantialownershipbylocalpeoplefortheZambian
andinternationalmarket.

Against this background, and in the quest to pursue the realisation and actualisation of the above
strategyanddevelopmentpolicy,HisRoyalHighnessesImfumuChibesakundaofShiwaNganduDistrict
in Muchinga Province has come up with a development model through the creation of the Mutambe
HarvestPlc,thefirstcommunitydrivenPublicLimitedCompanyinZambia.ThePlcisSpecialPurpose
Vehicle that has gone in a Joint Venture with a Bangladesh and Zambian influenced company called
Bangla Africa Agritech Limited to create Bangla Mutambe Agri Farms Limited as the Joint Venture
Company.Thisprojectshasbeenapprovedby5MinistriesinBangladeshandtheZambiagovernment.
 TheBanglaMutambeAgriFarms
BusinessModel
OBJECTIVE:

The primary objective of Mutambe Harvest Plc is to become the vehicle through which to
undertake and deliver economic and social transformation and development to the Mutambe
CommunityofImfumuChibesakunda.
Mutambe Harvest Plc is a Public Limited Company which is seeking to bring together all the
members of Mutambe to achieve equitable and sustained development in the Mutambe area
while at the same time deal with the issue of ownership and benefit sharing with the express
agenda of working together to bring economic and social transformation within the project
catchmentsarea.
MutambeHarvest(MH)Plchasthefollowinguniquefeatures:
1.CommunitymembersdefinedasthosecitizensregisteredundertheVillageandDevelopment
ActhavetherighttosubscribetotheArticlesofAssociationoftheMHPlcbyvirtueofconversion
oftheirlabourvalue,humancapitalvalueanddirectmonetarysubscription.
2.Thecompanys ownership is predominantly community based while incorporating any other
citizenwhomaynotresideinandoutsidethelocality.
3.Theoperationalthrustisvestedinthecompanylawsandgovernanceruleofthecountry.
4. As much as MH Plc is community based, the company has an inbuilt capacity to enter into
strategic local and international corporate partnerships that will enhance their technological
prowessforincreasedproductivityandsustainability.
 TheBanglaMutambeAgriFarms
BusinessModel
Thebroad,andatthesametime,coreagendaoftheMHPlcistobothworktowardsand,
ultimatelyachieveruraldevelopmentthroughthefollowingfundamentals:
1.Tojumpstartaccelerateddevelopmentwithinthetargetarea. (Aim:ToachieveCommunity
EconomicMobilisation);
2.Todevelopandentrenchmanagerialandorganisationalcompetenceofaruralcommunity
withintheprojectarea,basedontheirtraditionalleadershipstructures,andtostrengthenand
bringtheminlinewiththecompanysoverallRuralDevelopmentObjectives.(Aim:Toachieve
OrganisationalDevelopmentandadvancement);
3.TofamiliariseMembersoftheChiefdomandtheMutambecommunitywithpotential
investmentrequirementsandcharacteristics,inlinewiththeinherenteconomicpotentialoftheir
Chiefdomandcommunityarea.(Aim:Igniteandachieveappreciationofinvestmentand
developmentpotentialoftheirareatherebymovetheChiefdomtowardsRuralSocio Economic
Emancipation);
4.UndertakeandactuallyimplementProductionandCommercialinvestmentprogrammesand
projectsatcommunitylevel.(Aim:ToTargetandAchieveenhancedRuralCommunityProduction
andInvestments);and
5.Developandinstitutionalisefirmlinkages(backwardandforwardlinkages)toindustrialand
commercialprocessesoftheAgricultural,CommercialandIndustrialSectorsforruraldevelopment
programmesandprojects.(Aim:AchieveRuralEnterpriseDevelopmentgenerallyandspecifically
facilitateRuralUrbanPrivateSectorPartnerships).
TheBanglaMutambeAgriFarmsBusiness
ModelsMotivation
Findingalastingandsustainablesolutiontodevelopment hasdrivenImfumu
ChibesakundaofShiwaNganduDistrictinMuchingaProvinceinZambiaandhis
Mutambe community through their Public Limited Company; the Mutambe
HarvestPlc(ZambiasfirstCommunityPublicLimitedCompany)toenterintoa
smart partnership with Bangla Africa Agritech Limited, a Bangladesh and
Zambian influenced company headed by Mr. Mizanur Rahman Azad, Chief
Executive Officer of Bhati Bangla Agritech of Bangladesh to create Bangla
Mutambe Agri Farms Limited. The strategy is to secure farming land of a
minimum 250 hectares and maximum of 5,000 hectares, mobilise members of
the Mutambe community and start growing foodstuffs, adding value and
marketing them in Zambia, the Southern African Sub Region and Bangladesh
includingotherinternationalmarkets.
In this partnership Mutambe Harvest Plc will take up 51% equity and their
contribution to the partnership is land, labour and the hosting of the Agro
expertsfromBangladesh,whileBanglaAfricaAgritechLimitedscontributionof
49% is the technology, inputs, expertise, supervision and management logistics
outsourcingfromBangladeshtogetherwithsomemoneyincash.Thestrategyis
toproduceVegetables,Rice,OilSeedslikeSoyaBeanstogetherwithotherpulses
and Sunflower, Fruits, Beef, Milk, Mutton, Silk and other agro products in a
labour intensive and integrated organic based agricultural method with very
littleuseofchemicalfertilisersandpesticides.Thusallprojectsitesaredesigned
as integrated and composite farms placing a lot of emphasis on environmental
sustainability.
 Structure
BanglaAfricaAgritechLimited

BanglaAfricaAgritechLimitedis50%Zambian
and50%Bangladeshownership.
 StructureContd
MutambeHarvestPlcShareholdingStructure

1. PreferentialSharesamountingto40%ofthevalueoftheCompany fromtimetotimeataparvalueof
ZMK1,000andshallincludetheintellectualpropertyholdersoftheCompany,contributingandserving
membersoftheMutambeRoyalEstablishment.
2. ClassBSharesamountingto20%ofthevalueoftheCompanyfrom timetotimeataparvalueofZMK1,
000 per share and shall be open to corporate institutions, friends and sympathisers of Mutambe
together any Zambian citizen with a National Registration Card and or registered in a village of that
specific community in accordance with the Village Registration and Development Act responding to a
PrivatePlacementMemorandumtoissuedfrom60daysaftertheregistrationoftheCompany.
3. Ordinary shares amounting to 40% of the value of the Company from time to time at a par value of
ZMK0.1andshallbeopentoregisteredmembersofthatparticularcommunityinaccordancewiththe
VillageRegistrationandDevelopmentAct.
 Structure
THEJOINTVENTUREOWNERSHIPSTRUCTURE

BanglaMutambeAgriFarmsLimited
 ECONOMICANDCROSSSECTORAL
APPRAISALS
Anumberofeconomicandcrosssectoralappraisalstrideswillbeattainedfollowingthe
successfulimplementationofthisproject,amongwhichwillbe:
Increasedknowledge,understanding,skills,sharingofexperiencesandcapacitytoeffectively
access,manage,useandbenefitfromnaturalresources.
IncreasedCommunitybasedEnterpriseDevelopmentandCapacityBuildingcombinedwith
CommunityBasedOrganizationsCapacityBuilding
Increasedsustainableanddiversifiedagricultureproductionfor foodandnonfoodcrops.
Improvedandsustainablelanduse,environmentalandfarmingpractices.
Localisedcommunitybasedmarketingenvironmentthatwillpromoteandbuildcommunity
capacitytocollect,analyseanddisseminatemarketinformationtotheirmemberswithinthe
projectscatchmentsarea.
Strengthenedfoodandincomesecuritybaseofthecommunitythat willensureimproved
nutritionandresourceavailabilityatalltimes.
Selfmanagingchiefdomstructuresthatwillbegendersensitive, participatoryanddevelopment
focused.
Expandedsynergieswithtraditional,localNGOsandGovernmentextensionsystems.
Improvedaccessandownershipofcommunitytrustlandmanagedby thechiefdomonbehalfof
thepeople.
Strengthenedcommunityaccessandutilizationofcivic,socialanddevelopmentinformation.