Legal Discussions with Vengai Madzima: Title Deed Validation and Reissuance Pilot Programme of Zimbabwe

NewZimbabwe.com has invited Mr. Vengai Madzima, the Senior Partner at Madzima Chidyausiku Museta Legal Practitioners (MCM Legal) to discuss with us legal issues that affect Zimbabweans. The discussions are of a general nature and those seeking specific legal advice should contact their lawyer.

Reporter: Welcome back Mr. Madzima, we understand that in terms of the notice published on Sunday 4 April, 2026, you were selected as one of the few lawyers to facilitate reissuance of title deeds, what is that all about?

VM: Thank you

We are honoured to have been selected as one of the 16 law firms on the pilot programme intended to test and refine the operational processes of the Digital Land Administration Platform (DLAP).

You will appreciate the importance of a trial period in view of the magnitude of work involved once the platform is fully operational. If you remember, there is a requirement for the digitization of all the title deeds in Zimbabwe.

The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs found it necessary to run a pilot programme for 2 weeks, in my view, to allow whatever adjustments that may be required for an efficient and secure national deeds registry system on full implementation.

Reporter: Is this part of the deeds digitization programme announced late last year?

VM: Indeed, it is part of Deeds Registries Regulations of 2025, specifically Statutory Instrument 76 of 2025, which remains a watershed law on property securitization in Zimbabwe, repealing the Regulations of 2018 being S.I. 236 of 2018.

The idea, in line with the position taken for all companies registered in Zimbabwe, which we discussed last week and have an earlier date for digitization of 20 April, 2026, our Deeds Registry is moving away from a paper based system, which you will agree with me is now outdated from an international best standards perspective and suffers from multiple vulnerabilities, some of which have been the subject of court cases and publications on many media platforms.

Reporter: You mention the deadline for company re-registration, what is the position for Title Deed digitization?

VM:  Statutory instrument 76 of 2025 is very clear that the Registrar of Deeds requires the holder of the paper based title deed or the title deeds issued before digitization, to submit original copies of their documents, through conveyancers, to the Deeds Registry for validation within 24 months from the publication date of the Statutory Instrument.

It therefore follows that the deadline for digitization of the title deeds will be on or around 18 July 2027.

Reporter: We assume that the changeover is to combat fraud, what measures have been put to minimize this?

VM: The regulations aim to improve and arrest a number of shortcomings that presented themselves from the previous regulations. I will attempt to list a few of the improvements introduced, being identification requirements for parties transacting have been increased. The expansion in identification requirements also include companies, trusts or other juristic persons.

I am sure you have heard of people stealing identities and selling properties belonging to others.

The new regulations have put in measures to combat that.

Further, on the identity issue, the regulations prescribe stricter rules for powers of attorney, on top of the previous requirements that were used in property transfers, now the power of attorney will require an attestation clause signed by a Notary Public among other things.

Application for replacements of deeds are to be accompanied by finger prints and notarized copies of identification among other things.

These are just a few of the changes made to ensure that our Deeds Registry is secure for the benefit of property owners.

Reporter: What risks are posed by the introduction of this digitization?

VM: The existential threat in my view is the current  requirement to re–register companies by 20 April, 2026. A failure to re–register will allow third parties to open new companies using the abandoned name.

This will have serious consequences on the title deeds held by those companies when attempting to digitize.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. Madzima we have to end here because of our time.

VM: Thank you.

You can contact Vengai Madzima on vengai@mcmlegal.co.zw or at www.mcmlegal.co.zw.

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