Paralegals and the Protection of Land Rights in the Communities of Manhica and Massingir, Southern Mozambique

The race for the exploitation of natural resources has brought challenges of different natures, including land conflicts, mainly between investors and the local population. In some cases, the resolution of problems has been unfair due to the lack of legal knowledge and representation to help the vulnerable population. It is in this context that the paralegal figure was established, endowed with solid knowledge to voluntarily provide basic legal support to community members. This research analyzes the extent to which paralegals are adequate to represent community interests in land governance interventions focused on the land use management process in the districts of Manhiça and Massingir. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with interested parties, with emphasis on paralegals. In Mozambique, the role of paralegals is recognized by rural communities, especially the communities of Massingir and Manhiça, for their intervention at the local level on aspects of land conflict resolution, transmission of knowledge about rights and duties regarding land management and other natural resources. The survey found the existence of several challenges, such as the threats that paralegals have suffered from Government entities, on the other hand, the socio-cultural and traditional barriers that women in rural areas face. It should be noted that despite this, it was found that most paralegals are female, who were selected based on well-defined criteria for recruiting paralegal candidates. It is concluded that in both districts there have been situations of land conflict that are mitigated by paralegals, who with their interventions contribute to strengthening the sense of security of rural communities in relation to land ownership, thus avoiding conflict situations and guaranteeing sustainable exploitation of land and natural resources for the benefit of the environment. The study proposes, as follow-up actions, the strengthening of training campaigns for paralegals and the training of government institutions and investors for full compliance with the land law.