RUBAVU - The Minister of Environment and Land, Stansilas Kamanzi, has said that if all land was registered and given all the necessary documents, 47% of civil cases in primary courts would be solved.

He said this during a function to deliver land titles in Kanama Sector, Rubavu district.

The land registration exercise was launched on October 28, 2009 in Rubavu and 22% of the land in the Western Province has been registered.

"Land in Rwanda had never been given priority, but since 2004, the government has put more effort on land reform and management to give the community an opportunity to reap from it and use the land to get loans in banks,” Kamanzi said.

"These land titles are an opportunity to foster gender equality since the land is registered to both husband and wife, which means that no single person will sell the land without the consent of the other,” Charles Nkurunziza, the Director General of National
land centre said.

According to Nkurunziza, the land titles will solve many land related conflicts which have been wasting a lot of residents’ time as they were constantly in courts seeking solutions.

"This land permit I have got assures me that really the land is mine and no one can take it away from me. I will do everything to increase its productivity by using fertilizers,” 55year old Zachee Gahunde, said.

Among the challenges noted by the technical team dealing with the land registration were time spent solving land related conflicts, local leaders who don’t participate in the exercise and corrupt land committee officials.

Minister Kamanzi warned the local leaders to identify land belonging to orphans of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He said it should be registered without any corrupt tendencies or injustice.

The Minister also asked the National Land Centre to ensure that at least 50% of the land in the country is registered by the end of this year.

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