Source: Land allocation must be legal, orderly and accountable – herald
Point Break
President Mnangagwa recently appointed CDE VANGELIS HARITATOS the Minister of Lands and Rural Development with the mandate of facilitating accelerated rural development and industrialisation. Our reporter THESEUS SHAMBARE sat down with him to unpack the Government’s policy on land administration, tenure security, rural development and agricultural productivity.
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Q: The Government has intensified the issuance of title deeds to farmers. What milestones should Zimbabweans expect under your tenure and how will this improve productivity and access to finance?
A: Secure tenure remains fundamental to agricultural transformation.
Title deeds are intended to boost farmer confidence, stimulate investment and unlock value through resource mobilisation, partnerships and a range of financing opportunities.
The ministry will focus on accelerating the issuance by prioritising farms with clean, surveyed and dispute-free records, while speeding up processing, verification and distribution of tenure documents.
Systems will also be strengthened to ensure title deeds are supported by credible surveys, clear boundaries, accurate records and secure digital data, because a deed is only as useful as the integrity of the land information behind it.
Engagement with financial institutions will ensure that tenure security translates into access to credit for irrigation development, mechanisation, inputs, storage and value addition, with the broader objective of driving real economic transformation under the National Development Strategy 2 (2026-2030).
Q: How is the Government addressing illegal land allocations under the so-called sabhuku deals?
A: Land allocation must remain legal, orderly and accountable. No village head, land baron or official has the authority to sell State land.
The emergence of “sabhuku deals” in communal and peri-urban areas is being treated as a serious governance issue.
The response involves coordinated action with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, traditional leaders, rural district councils, the Zimbabwe Land Commission and law-enforcement agencies. Key measures include verification of allocations, enforcement against illegal land parcelling, spatial mapping of all approved land-use plans and intensified public education to alert citizens that illegal land purchases risk loss.
Transparency is being strengthened to ensure citizens clearly understand legitimate application channels, documentation and procedures for land access.
Q: What is the Government’s position on compensation of white former commercial farmers?
A: The Government remains committed to lawful, fiscally responsible compensation, in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and national interest. The framework is anchored in the 2020 Global Compensation Deed valued at approximately US$3,5 billion, covering about 4 000 former farmers. This process does not reverse land reform, which remains irreversible.
It is aimed at settling historical obligations, strengthening international re-engagement and reducing uncertainty in the agriculture sector.
Farmers under the Land Reform Programme retain secure tenure, protection and support services, while disputes are handled transparently on a case-by-case basis.
Q: Will the Government repossess idle land and address multiple farm ownership?
A: Underutilisation, multiple ownership and irregular allocations will be addressed because land is a finite national resource that must be productively used. A structured land audit will be conducted using tools such as remote sensing and drone verification to establish factual evidence on land use, legality and allocation status.
The process will be fair and will not target farmers affected by genuine challenges such as drought or lack of finance.
However, where land is found to be unjustifiably idle, intervention may include repossession or downsizing. The guiding principle is maximum productive use of land, not punitive action for its own sake.
Q: What role do you envisage irrigation and rural infrastructure development playing in climate change adaptation?
A: Climate change has made reliance on rain-fed agriculture increasingly unsustainable, requiring a deliberate shift towards climate-resilient production systems.
Irrigation development is the cornerstone of this strategy, ensuring year-round production regardless of rainfall variability, supporting winter cropping and stabilising national food supplies. Rural infrastructure is being aligned with production needs, including reliable energy for irrigation systems and climate-smart storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.
Water harvesting is being prioritised through construction of small to medium dams and desilting of existing weirs to improve water availability for both irrigation and livestock production. These measures are complemented by conservation agriculture and drought-tolerant crop promotion to move the country from drought response to drought preparedness.
Q: What practical interventions in terms of rural development should our communities living in rural areas expect going forward?
A: Rural development is being restructured into a high-impact, decentralised delivery model where every intervention is linked to production.
Energy programmes are expanding through solar-powered solutions, including water-based systems that support irrigation and household use. Solar-powered boreholes are being rolled out, while existing irrigation schemes are being rehabilitated to restore full functionality.
Feeder road rehabilitation is being prioritised in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to ensure efficient movement of inputs and produce.
Additional interventions include dip-tank rehabilitation, veterinary support services and improved targeting of agricultural inputs under Pfumvudza/Intwasa based on agro-ecological suitability.
Q: How is the Government supporting the youth and women in agriculture who are living in rural communities?
A: The youth and women are central to agricultural transformation and broader rural industrialisation.
Land allocation systems are being made more transparent to ensure equitable access and reduce barriers to entry.
Land audits will also help release underutilised or irregularly held land for redistribution to deserving applicants.
Smaller, intensively productive land units are being promoted, supported by irrigation, technology and high-value farming models such as horticulture, poultry, dairy and aquaculture.
Access to land is being linked with finance, training, markets and extension services, because land alone is insufficient without supporting systems.
Q: Your parting words?
A: The Government is prioritising order, productivity and confidence in the land sector through accelerated tenure security, enforcement against illegal allocations, responsible compensation, land audits and expansion of irrigation and rural infrastructure.
Land is being repositioned as a productive national asset underpinning food security, investment, youth empowerment and rural transformation.
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