Last week, members of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare, hosted hundreds of residents in a legal programme meant to help them better understand issues around estate and property rights.
SDA personal ministries Elder Munyaradzi Paddington Chikowore said the engagement was part of the church’s efforts to address and simplify some of the legal challenges faced by
He said the church had identified Kuwadzana Extension as one of the places affected by estate issues as some house owners did not have title deeds.
“We identify problems faced by the community as a church and look for solutions on how we can help them. Some of the programmes we have been doing include Health Expos which the church's health department runs.
“The department invites health practitioners who will be helping the sick. Last year, we also did cooking lessons and extra tutoring for exam classes whereby we also invited experts who will teach the society.
“We did an investigation and saw that the society is having property issues and some of the new stands in Kuwadzana Extension do not have title deeds, so we invited two lawyers who are conducting consultations and presentations to the community at large,” Chikowore said.
Addressing the gathering, prominent lawyer Munyaradzi Mugomeza advised residents facing similar challenges to use proper legal routes rather than cultural law which sometimes disadvantages innocent parties
“There is a lot that they do not know and there is a lot that they are in opposition to so to speak. They are happier living under cultural laws.
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“However, the same cultural laws are the same laws that are giving them problems and as I have been listening to the questions that I have been getting, I realised that what is in everyone's mind is the issue of inheritance and property more than anything else. People want to have something they own and that is secure.
“Security is what people of this nation are looking for, beyond that everything is futile. We have spent about six hours dealing with estate issues and property issues, nothing more than that.”
Gamuchirai Mubaiwa, a congregant who attended the programme, applauded the initiative saying it also helps the youths to understand civil law.
“The public relations engagement programme seeks to engage all four compartments in Kuwadzana Extension which consist of Herbert Chitepo, Park Ridge, Fountain Blue and Kuwadzana Extension.
“Kuwadzana Extension was established around 1996 and in a period spanning 28 years, the owners of these homes are old while some have passed away.
“Most houses are being rented and some were left to children. It was noted that the children left are having house ownership disputes with their neighbours and relatives.”
She said the lack of knowledge has affected many people in the community.
“The lawyers advised the society to utilise trust property. They also enlightened the society on new legislation and amendments.
“People are in property dilemmas. To us the youth we noticed that when people consolidate a lot of property they may fail to impart it so it taught us something of a new kind,” she said.
