Photo Credit: www.insidebiz.co.sz
Interview and Article by Ntokozo Nkambule
The Deeds Registry Office has witnessed a number of changes in the past two years. There have been three Registrars in just under two years. The first to vacate the position was Thabiso Masina who left office in January 2021 for the Eswatini Electricity Company.
Masina was replaced by Lindile Manzini, who was roped in on a one-year contract. In actual fact, Manzini was recalled from retirement to show her successor; Khulile Sikhondze the ropes and the operations of the Office.
We met up with Sikhondze, to find out how it feels to be at the helm of an office, with so much responsibility and expectation. Sikhondze is not new in government, she has been a Conveyancer in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy since 2016 until her recent promotion.
As a matter of fact, the soft-spoken Registrar has held a number of positions in government, one of them being the Legal Advisor under the Ministry of Education & Training.
A Lawyer by profession, Sikhondze says being the Registrar of Deeds has been interesting and challenging at the same time.
“The first few months have been an eye-opener, and I believe most people assuming new leadership positions experience challenges in the beginning. I would say I am still acclimatizing to the position but gaining a bit of ground. One of the challenges I have come across is that of leading people which is something new to me, but I must say the team here has been great and welcoming” she notes.
Sikhondze reveals that one of the things she would want to speedily improve is their current information system as an office.
“We have been advised to improve our information system, especially with the recently operationalized sectional titles Act, as there is likely to be an increased workload. But most importantly, our aim is to ensure that we have an IT system with interconnectivity with all government departments working with us. This includes but not all, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy” she posited.
The Registrar added that the interconnectivity should also allow external stakeholders who work closely with them such as Conveyancers and Property Valuers. She said the aim of the office is to take their services online.
She said for all these changes to take place, it is imperative that the Deeds Registry Act is reviewed as it was passed in 1968, yet there are a number of changes that have taken place in the property sector.
“The Act must be amended to suit the current way of doing things, such as how to lodge, rules and regulations. The good news is that the government is working on this review, we just have financial challenges as this requires an independent consultant.”
In terms of challenges she has come across, the Registrar said the only major challenge has been budgetary constraints. She was, however, quick to point out that the government had approved their Sectional Title budget request.
“Yes, there is a budget issue, we would appreciate being allocated more so we can hire more staff, as there is a lot of work. But I must commend the government for approving our Sectional Title budget request”
In terms of the overall performance of the property industry in the country, the experienced Conveyancer observes that the industry as a whole has been slow for a while now.
She says as an office they have witnessed a decline in property transactions. Sikhondze says the dip in the property sector has likely been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, following the practical shutting down of the economy.
She is, however, positive that the sector will pick up following the economic growth that the country has experienced in the previous financial year.
NB. This article first appeared in Eswatini Property Review, our sister publication
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