In 2019, the Golden Stool, the ultimate symbol of authority and power over land in Kumasi, acted to enforce Ghana’s traditional leasehold policy in the Central Business District (CBD), where lessees had expired or were due to expire. This action highlighted tenure security concerns as little is known about the traditional leasehold model, particularly how the lease is created and enforced upon its expiration. Knowing more about the tenure structure is broadly important: it will guide property owners (lessees) and prospective investors in the market and open grounds to further examine the extent to which this landholding model is a secured, efficient, and equitable market practice. Using the Golden Stool and the city of Kumasi as a case study, this paper examines (i) how leases are created and operationalized, including the terms and conditions, (ii) what happens upon the lease’s expiration and the conditions under which lessees lose their properties, (iii) how the community, for whom the land is held in trust by the Golden Stool, benefit from the leasehold policy, and (iv) whether there are measures to ensure equity as leases approach expiration. The study draws on in-depth interviews with traditional leaders (chiefs), lessees, estate developers and institutions directly involved in the management of lands in the city. The results point to a tenure trusteeship model which works to benefit the leaders (chiefs) and to the detriment of the community. The paper concludes that the Golden Stool’s leasehold model fails to meet the tests of legitimacy and certainty and thus recommends the formalization of practices, such as “drink-money” payments, as well as institution of official payment plans and leasehold interest packages upon lease expiration. These changes would improve land governance, tenure security and property rights for leaseholders in ways consistent with the norms of the Global Campaign for Secure Tenure (GCST).

2019 年，库马西土地权威和权力的最终象征金凳在中央商务区 (CBD) 执行加纳的传统租赁政策，承租人已到期或即将到期。由于对传统的租赁模式知之甚少，特别是租约是如何创建和在其到期时执行的，这一行动突出了使用权安全问题。更多地了解权属结构非常重要：它将指导市场和开放场地的财产所有者（承租人）和潜在投资者进一步检查这种土地持有模式在多大程度上是一种安全、高效和公平的市场实践。本文以 Golden Stool 和库马西市作为案例研究，研究了 (i) 租约是如何创建和运作的，包括条款和条件，(ii) 租约到期后会发生什么情况以及承租人失去财产的情况，(iii) Golden Stool 托管土地的社区如何从租赁政策中受益，以及 (iv) 是否有措施确保在租约到期时公平。该研究借鉴了对传统领导者（酋长）、承租人、房地产开发商和直接参与城市土地管理的机构的深入访谈。结果表明，终身托管模式有益于领导者（首领），但损害了社区。本文得出结论认为，Golden Stool 的租赁模式无法满足合法性和确定性的检验，因此建议将实践正规化，例如“饮料钱”支付，以及在租赁期满时制定正式付款计划和租赁权益包。这些变化将以符合全球土地使用权保障运动 (GCST) 规范的方式改善土地治理、土地使用权保障和租赁人的财产权。