Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary, Joe Kalusa, has called on all headteachers in the region to urgently acquire title deeds for school land in order to safeguard it from increasing cases of encroachment.
Mr. Kalusa expressed concern over the growing number of public-school properties that are being encroached on by individuals and developers.
He said land that is on title cannot easily be tampered with, stating that title deeds give pieces land a legal identity.
He added that title deeds also provide substantial grounds for defense in court and other relevant authorities.
Mr. Kalusa said this when he toured some school projects funded by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in Mandevu constituency.
During the tour, some headteachers raised concerns about encroachment involving their school lands.
“Land encroachment has become rampant, especially on school premises. This is happening because most of our schools do not have title deeds to their land, which makes it difficult to defend ownership when disputes arise,” said Mr. Kalusa.
He further encouraged school management teams to take proactive measures in protecting their school boundaries by installing perimeter fences.
Mr. Kalusa stressed that fencing does not only prevent encroachment but also enhances the security and safety of learners and school infrastructure.
“I urge all school heads to work closely with the Ministry of Lands and relevant local authorities to begin the process of securing title deeds, ensure that your school boundaries are clearly marked and fenced to prevent unnecessary disputes and loss of land,” he said.
