Contestation, confusion and corruption | Land Portal
Contestation

Informations sur la ressource

Date of publication: 
décembre 2005
Resource Language: 
Pages: 
26
License of the resource: 

This paper explores the politics of ‘customary’ land tenure, land reform, and traditional leaders in Zambia. In Zambia, as elsewhere in Southern Africa, the government at the behest of donors has implemented market-based tenure reform legislation. This legislation aims to improve the security of land tenure and to promote development through investment. The paper shows how complex, indeterminate, and contentious this tenure reform has been on the ground – particularly in relation to the 94 per cent of Zambian land that is held in ‘customary’ tenure. It explores the ways in which local, national, and even international elites have been able to secure private title to ‘customary’ lands. In so doing, the paper demonstrates the malleability of tenure reform. The paper also highlights the changing roles of traditional leaders and provides insights into the character of the Zambian state and its administration—particularly at a local level.

Auteurs et éditeurs

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Taylor Brown

Publisher(s): 

IDLO is the only intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law. Governments, multilateral organizations, private foundations and the private sector support our work. We are headquartered in Rome, where we were first founded, and where we continue to enjoy strong support from the Italian government. We are present in The Hague, a city whose hospitality connects us with an unrivaled legal tradition. And we are represented at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, where we help shape the debate about human rights and development.

Partagez cette page