Judgment No. CCZ 10/14 17 Constitutional Application No. SC 226/10 consult the Land Settlement Board which obviously has to be in existence. I do not accept the contention by the applicants that the Minister can only allocate acquired land by way of a land settlement lease which he presently cannot do because there is no Land Settlement Board in existence. The Minister has an unfettered choice as to which method he uses in the allocation of land to individuals. He can allocate the land by way of an offer letter or by way of a permit or by way of a land settlement lease. It is entirely up to the Minister to choose which method to use. I am not persuaded by the argument that because the offer letter is not specifically provided for in the Constitution it cannot be used as a means of allocating land to individuals. I am satisfied that the Minister can issue an offer letter as a means of allocating acquired land to an individual. Having concluded that the Minister has the legal power or authority to issue an offer letter, a permit or a land settlement lease, it follows that the holders of those documents have the legal authority to occupy and use the land allocated to them by the Minister in terms of the offer letter, permit or land settlement lease.” “Lawful authority” means an offer letter, a permit and a land settlement lease. The documents attached to the defence outline are not offer letters, permits or land settlement leases issued by the acquiring authority. They do not constitute “lawful authority” providing a defence to the charge the applicant is facing. The applicant did not have an offer letter, a permit or a land settlement lease. Accordingly, he had no lawful authority to occupy or continue to occupy the farm. The letters from the late Vice President Msika and those of the Ministry of Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement do not constitute “lawful authority”. “Lawful authority” in terms of the Act begins and ends with an offer letter, a permit and a land settlement lease. A telephone call or a letter, even from the Minister of Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement is not “lawful authority”.