Overview
This study, published in the African Journal on Land Policy and Geospatial Sciences (Vol. 3, Special Issue 2, March 2020), explores community-driven approaches to secure land rights under customary tenure in Zambia. Authored by David Katungula, Danilo Antonio, Hellen-Nyamweru Ndungu, and Moonga Chilanga, the paper documents experiences from Chamuka Chiefdom in Central Province, where innovative land documentation methods have been used to improve tenure security and empower womensara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
Context and Problem
Customary land covers the majority of Zambia’s land area, yet insecurity of tenure persists due to lack of documentation, weak governance, and increasing conversion of customary land to state land. Since the 1995 Land Act, about 10% of customary land has been converted, often through informal processes involving traditional leaders and investors. This has led to displacements, corruption, and rising land conflicts — especially near urban centres like Lusaka and Chisambasara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
Women and youth are disproportionately affected because of patriarchal systems that limit their rights to own or inherit land. The authors note that although the Zambian Constitution recognizes customary tenure, it does not provide for registration of ownership, only for protection of use rights.
The Chamuka Chiefdom Intervention
In response, Chief Chamuka VI, working with UN-Habitat, People’s Process on Housing and Poverty in Zambia (PPHPZ), and the Zambia Homeless and Poor People’s Federation (ZHPPF), piloted the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) — a fit-for-purpose land administration tool that captures spatial and socio-economic data to document customary land rightssara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
Between 2016 and 2018, the project mapped 538 land parcels across 11 villages, enumerating 561 households (3,102 people). Of these, 52% were female, and 191 were female-headed households. The initiative culminated in the issuance of 530 Certificates of Customary Land Occupancy, benefiting 3,584 people, of whom 57% were womensara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
Emerging Impacts
The project’s outcomes illustrate significant social, economic, and governance impacts:
- Improved Tenure Security – Families now hold verifiable certificates recognizing their occupancy. This has reduced boundary disputes and empowered communities to negotiate with investors.
- Local Investments Enabled –
- In Bulemu Village, seven families used their certificates to negotiate a 25-year solar energy lease with an Israeli firm, ensuring free electricity and profit-sharing.
- Another group secured compensation and resettlement rights when a Chinese investor established a manganese processing plant, using their land certificates as legal evidence of occupancysara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
- Gender Equality and Empowerment – Women played leading roles in enumeration and mapping, shifting gender norms. Chief Chamuka decreed that 50% of land allocations must go to women, and every village committee must include women representativessara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
- Conflict Resolution –
- 231 inter-family and 103 intra-family land disputes were resolved through community mediation.
- 8 inter-village boundary disputes were also amicably settled.
- Youth and Livelihoods – Secure tenure encouraged investment. For example, a youth in Ndililwa Village established a fish farm earning USD 2,500–3,000 annually.
- Community Capacity Building – Over 70 para-surveyors were trained in digital mapping and data entry, ensuring sustainability and local ownership of the process.
- Data-Driven Governance – The STDM database now informs development planning and land policy consultations, including submissions to the draft National Land Policy.
Lessons Learned
The Chamuka experience underscores that:
- Fit-for-purpose land tools like STDM make land documentation accessible and affordable (USD 10 per certificate compared to USD 150 for a statutory title).
- Customary land documentation can strengthen rather than undermine traditional authority, enhancing transparency and accountability.
- Involving male gender champions and traditional leaders is crucial for advancing women’s land rights.
- Participatory mapping builds trust and ensures equitable outcomessara,+105-115_17935-48608-1-LE.
Conclusion
The Chamuka initiative demonstrates how innovative, participatory, and gender-responsive land governance can transform rural communities. It proves that formalizing customary tenure does not require displacement or loss of traditional control. Instead, it fosters collaboration, inclusion, and sustainable development — ensuring that “no one is left behind.”
Citation
Katungula, D., Antonio, D., Nyamweru Ndungu, H., & Chilanga, M. (2020). Innovative Customary Land Governance in Zambia: Experiences, Lessons Learned and Emerging Impacts. African Journal on Land Policy and Geospatial Sciences, 3(Special Issue 2), 105–115.
