Cuvu families finally secure land leases after 10-year wait

After years of uncertainty, more than 100 families in Cuvu, Sigatoka, are celebrating a new chapter in their lives as they finally received lease offer letters.

The milestone decision early this year came nearly a decade after the community was first promised land tenure security.  

In May 2025, the Ministry of Housing issued 113 lease offer letters. There were 108 to households and five to religious organisations, marking the end of a long wait that began in 2014.

Families had lived with upgraded infrastructure since 2022, but without the critical lease titles that gave them legal rights to their land.  

“For too long, families in settlements like Cuvu in Sigatoka lived in limbo, with no certainty over their homes,” Mr Nalumisa told Parliament today.  

“This Government has delivered on a promise that was delayed for almost 10 years.”  

The leases are for 99 years, giving families the confidence to invest in permanent housing and secure their children’s futures. 

Cuvu is not alone. Work is now underway to issue lease offer letters to families in Waidamudamu (Nausori) and Ledrusasa (Nadi), where more than 340 families stand to benefit. 

Mr Nalumisa said this was part of a wider nationwide approach to upgrading informal settlements, with projects in Lautoka, Ba, Labasa, Nadi, and Nasinu also set to bring secure land tenure to thousands more households in the coming years.  

The ministry confirmed that while progress had been made in 30 settlements, 18 informal settlements remain untouched, plans are in place through partnerships with organisations to ensure no community is left behind.

For families in Cuvu, however, the wait is finally over and their homes are now truly their own.

“This is about giving dignity and security to our people,” Mr Nalumisa said.  

“Every Fijian deserves the peace of mind that comes with knowing the land they live on is truly theirs.”