Published: 7 hours ago

Residents holding housing agreements issued by the Bulawayo City Council have been urged not to confuse the documents with title deeds, as they do not confer the same level of legal ownership or protection under the law.

The clarification comes amid growing public interest in the Government's title deeds validation, securitisation and digitisation programme, which has generated widespread discussion among homeowners, legal practitioners and property owners across Zimbabwe.

The programme, being implemented through Statutory Instrument 76 of 2025, requires holders of existing title deeds to have them validated and converted into a digitised and securitised format within a prescribed period.

Government says the initiative is designed to modernise land administration systems, curb fraud, prevent duplication of title deeds and strengthen the integrity of property ownership records.

Addressing residents during a community engagement meeting, Mpopoma Housing Officer Mpofu said many homeowners, particularly senior citizens, mistakenly believe that council-issued housing agreements are title deeds.

"I want the elderly to understand that the house certificates we received from council are not title deeds. They are agreements between you and the council confirming that a house was built for you on a particular stand and piece of land at an agreed value," Mpofu said.

"The agreement indicates details such as the size of the land on which your house is situated, but it is not a title deed."

She explained that title deeds carry greater legal authority because they are formally registered through the Government's Deeds Registry.

"When we talk about title deeds, we are referring to property that has been registered with the Government to confirm ownership of both the land and the house. It is registered at the Deeds Office and the owner is issued with a certificate that carries more legal weight than a council agreement," she said.

According to Mpofu, council agreements become obsolete once a title deed has been issued because title deeds constitute the superior legal instrument of ownership.

"The council agreement is cancelled because it is less powerful than a title deed," she said.

Mpofu also highlighted that the Government's digitisation programme would affect all property owners, including those who already possess title deeds.

"The Government issued a directive last year stating that everything needs to be digitised, just as has happened with passports. Even those who already have title deeds will have them digitised to reduce theft and fraud," she said.

"If information is captured in the system, it will immediately show who owns a property without the need to produce paper documents. The intention is to eliminate reliance on paper records."

Residents interested in obtaining title deeds were encouraged to approach the Housing Office to begin the application process.

Mpofu said prospective applicants must first establish whether their properties have any outstanding debts owed to council.

"For those without title deeds who would like to obtain them, they can write to the Housing Office expressing their intention to be registered. We can then check whether the property has any outstanding debt," she said.

Applicants whose accounts are clear are required to submit detailed information regarding the condition of their homes and any improvements made over time.

"You need to indicate how many rooms the house originally had, whether you have installed tiles, extended the structure or made any other improvements. All of that information is required," Mpofu explained.

She said applicants are currently required to pay a processing fee of US$24.50 before their applications can be considered.

Once title deeds have been issued, residents are required to surrender their council agreements.

"You surrender your agreement because, as I have indicated, it becomes inferior to the title deed. If you wish to keep a copy for your records, you may photocopy it, but it will no longer be valid once title deeds have been issued," she said.

Mpofu explained that after applications are processed by the Housing Office, they are referred to council lawyers before being handled by legal practitioners responsible for registering the title deeds through the Deeds Office.

"After paying the required fees and completing the registration process, residents will be called to collect their title deeds. Some may choose to keep them at home, while others may store them with their lawyers for safekeeping," she said.

She reiterated the importance of residents understanding the legal distinction between the two documents.

"What I want residents to understand is that the agreements they entered into with council are not title deeds. Title deeds represent a higher level of ownership and are the superior legal document," said Mpofu.
- cite

You might also want to read this

• Zimbabwe introduces digital title deeds