Legal framework on rural land
Land is one of the most important existent natural resources in the country, given that it is from land that a large part of the wealth of countries and their inhabitants is produced and extracted. In Mozambique, land has been dealt with, with special care, in an attempt to reconcile the need for economic development with the most appropriate way in which to respond to social issues which are related to land.
Mozambican land legislation was some of the first legislation to expressly recognise and ensure customary rights. The reconciliation of customary rights, so as to guarantee their effective protection, and the simultaneous motivation of private investment, while dealing with both certificated and non-certificated rights, has been a significant challenge for the public authorities.
This manual on land, and particularly on the procedures for accessing land in rural areas, is an instrument which permits investors and other interested parties to obtain knowledge of a series of legal instruments relating to land, and the procedures they contain. It contributes to the ensuring of rights and the prevention of land conflicts, by publishing the legal norms to be complied with. We believe that it will enable investors to acquire the knowledge they require to improve their relationships with competent public authorities, in the context of access to land in Mozambique.