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News 2010
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| September 2010
 Accelerating Land Redistribution in South Africa
A
Parliamentary Green Paper proposing and outlining new land laws in
South Africa is eagerly awaited, not just to end uncertainty about land
issues (there are increasing calls from some quarters to amend the
property clause in the Constitution) but also to address the weaknesses
in the present willing buyer--willing seller land redistribution model.
Discussions may focus on two proposed mechanisms: ceilings on
landholdings and equity sharing. The green paper should appear on the
SA Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's website sometime soon. More about this issue can be found here and here.
| | August 2010
 Land Titling in India: moving ahead?
Across
India there are moves to clarify land rights and ownership records and
reduce the levels of litigation that all too frequently result from
inadequate or inaccurate land records. The Government of India have
prepared a model Land Titling Bill
to replace aspects of the antiquated and colonial deeds registration
system. But some states, such as Delhi, want to move faster. More
background on this and other land and property matters in India can be found in Sachin Sandhir's blog.
| | July 2010
 MCA-Lesotho Land Administration Reform Project Moves Further Ahead
After
a small hiccough, when MCC suspended funding of the project due to
conditions not being met, the Land Act 2010 and Land Administration
Authority Act 2010 are now law and the project is again moving ahead.
The pilot land tenure regularisation scheme has commenced in peri-urban
Maseru and the Land Administration Authority has been legally
established but with only one employee so far -- the Director General,
Sean Johnson. Recruitment of staff is expected to commence soon and LAA
will gradually take over the land administration functions under
the Department of Lands, Surveys and Physical Planning and also the
Deeds Registry. The LAA is expected to provide much improved, quicker,
and more professional land administration services to land users and
occupiers who require a lease and want formal tenure and secure land
dealings. The LAA is an autonomous executive agency of the Government
of Lesotho and in the long term is expected to be self sustaining. More
information about MCA-Lesotho and the land programme can be found here. | | June 2010
 The World Cup Kicks Off Today:Why does it work?Why
does the World Cup work, and why is it so successful? Simple. The rules
of the game are simple; and they are universal (the same rules for
everybody, both rich and poor), and they are understood by everybody
(well, just about, and even North Americans these days). The rules are
part of the 'institution' of the beautiful game, and the strength of
the institution is what sustains the game. The same rationale applies
for development, and particularly for land administration in the
developing world. The importance of strong institutions (with a land
sector example) are well-articulated here. | | May 2010
 Land and Property Titles Make NewsA rash of news articles about land and property title problems have appeared recently in South Africa's The Star newspaper. Fraud at the Deeds Registry is giving rise to calls
for the use of title insurance; a backlog of 40,000 property sales has
arisen because of the City of Johannesburg's failure to issue rate
clearance certificates timeoulsy; residents of Alexandria township, who
had their freehold land confiscated under the apartheid regime, are
still seeking
to get their land titles back; and, residents who purchased properties
in good faith now face eviction because of strict government policies. | | May 2010
 Further Support for Land Administration in PalestineThe
Government of Finland and the World Bank have jointly supported the
Palestinian Authority’s Land Administration Programme since 2005 and
plan to continue doing so. Proposals are being sort to define the modus
operandi for implementing phase 2 that continues both land adjudication
and institutional strengthening and capacity building. > more | | April 2010
 The End of the Third World?'The
old concept of “Third World” is outdated', so says Robert Zoellick,
president of the World Bank. In the new multipolar global economy,
Africa will be a potenial growth pole, with agriculture being the
catalyst. Investment is needed but so too a new approach: "Since
about two-thirds of African farmers are women, we need to help them get
legal and property rights, and access to services." Read in full here. | | March 2010
 South Africa Township Residents Turn to Government for Title Deeds
A newstory published in the Johannesburg Star
on 30 March, alongside an equally interesting story about residents who
were legally evicted from land they occupied but refuse to accept the
decision of the High Court because "all my children were born here",
re-inforces the need for informal settlers, whose occupancy rights have
been recognised, to receive the full protection of the law. Read the
full story here. | | February 2010
 Finland and FAO to develop open source land registration
software
Finland and FAO have agreed to assist countries to develop sustainable and
affordable land administration systems to improve tenure security and land
governance in both rural and urban areas. The $2.4 million project will
help FAO member countries to test and adopt low-cost open source technology for
the benefit of their land records maintenance. The project will be piloted in
Ghana, Nepal and Samoa. Source: FAO | | January 2010
 Lesotho Land Component of MCC Compact Moves Ahead
The land sector is one of four components to MCC's support to the Kingdom of Lesotho, and recently contracts have been awarded by MCA-Lesotho for regularisation of land titles in urban areas, modernisation and improvement
of land administration services, and the appointment of a Director
General for the soon to be established Land Administration Authority.
The Australian consultancy company Land Equity International were successful bidders and are now implementing two of the aforementioned contracts, and Sean Johnson has been appointed to the Director General position on a 3.5 year contract. | | |
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