Harare– A market-liberal coalition has thrown its weight behind Zimbabwe’s historic move to digitalise land registration and title deeds, but warned that proposed commercial conveyancing fees will price out low-income homeowners, the disadvantaged, and older persons.

The Coalition for Market and Liberal Solutions (COMALISO) on Monday lauded the Ministry of Justice, the Central Deeds Registry, and the Kwangu/Kwami Trust for pursuing digitalisation to boost efficiency, transparency, and curb corruption in property administration.

However, the group said in a statement that a fee structure designed for commercial and high-value properties is being applied indiscriminately to urban high-density homeowners, regularised settlements, and rural growth points.

“Home and property owners in these locations are mostly low-income earners, if not Older Persons, who have already paid for land through council schemes, housing cooperatives, or government regularisation programmes,” COMALISO said. “Asking them to again pay full commercial conveyancing fees is neither just nor economically sensible.”

The coalition warned that those who have not yet begun the title deeds acquisition process would face an insurmountable obstacle, “defeating the whole purpose of secure shelter for the disadvantaged and Older Persons in Zimbabwe.”

COMALISO called on the government to exempt three categories from digitalisation-induced fees: urban high-density homeowners in areas including Highfield, Budiriro, Mbare, and Nkulumane; regularised informal settlements such as Epworth, Cowdray Park, and Hopley; and growth points and rural service centres undergoing tenure formalisation.

For exempted categories, the coalition proposed that local authorities handle all conveyancing work pro deo through accredited paralegals or legal practitioners, charging no more than the equivalent of USD $20 per transaction.

COMALISO further recommended that legal professionals receive modest stipends from a newly established National Shelter Fund, underwritten by building societies, property developers, insurers, and pension companies.

“Technology reduces processing time and administrative costs; thus those savings must be passed on to citizens — especially the disadvantaged, poor and Older Persons,” the statement read. “Charging full conveyancing fees on high density, regularised and rural growth point properties as if they were high-end commercial entities undermines economic inclusion.”

The coalition urged the relevant ministry to engage residents’ associations, local authorities, legal aid bodies, and private sector players to finalise a pro-deo framework, adding that COMALISO stands ready to partner with the Central Deeds Registry on a national awareness campaign.