Property
Deeds registration alongside state-acquired agricultural land and 99-year leases
Urban and commercial property is held under Roman-Dutch ownership registered in the Deeds Registry. Agricultural land compulsorily acquired in the fast-track programme after 2000 vests in the state, with occupiers holding 99-year leases, offer letters or permits rather than transferable title. Communal land is administered under the Communal Land Act.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Deeds Registry records registrable title; the Administrative Court hears acquisition matters; the Land Commission administers state land.
Governing law
- Deeds Registries ActChapter 20:05
- Land Commission Act (Chapter 20:29), 2017
- Communal Land ActChapter 20:04
- Constitution s 72 — agricultural land acquired for resettlement
In practice
The critical practical distinction is between registrable title and the instruments issued over resettled agricultural land. A 99-year lease is not freehold and its bankability has been the central constraint on agricultural finance since 2000; section 72 of the Constitution also limits compensation for acquired agricultural land to improvements in most cases.