The Government is developing a 50-year national land-use masterplan aimed at curbing unplanned developments on prime agricultural land and restoring long-term order in Zimbabwe’s spatial planning system.
The initiative, announced by Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos, comes amid growing concern over the spread of illegal settlements, unregulated business centres and infrastructure such as fuel stations on land reserved for agriculture.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Rural Industrialisation and Economic Empowerment Indaba at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, Haritatos said the masterplan will introduce a strict “border-to-border” land classification system to define how all land in Zimbabwe should be used.
“What we see is settlements haphazardly coming up, fuel stations being built on prime agricultural land… We need to bring everything into a systematic way of organisation,” he said.
He said the framework will move beyond short-term planning cycles and adopt an intergenerational approach, guiding development over the next half-century.
“The masterplan will be from border to border… we must think not just for the next 10 years, but for the next 50 years,” he said.
A key feature of the plan will be the establishment of a dedicated planning department within the Ministry of Lands to oversee national spatial mapping, enforce compliance and coordinate land development across sectors.
“We are going to have a proper department of planning within the Ministry of Lands. We need planners who can plan for generations to come,” Haritatos said.
The ministry is also consulting other arms of government, including local authorities, to align development priorities into a unified national spatial framework.
A major focus of the strategy is promoting vertical urban development to reduce urban sprawl and protect fertile farmland.
“We do not want to be building horizontally. We want to be building vertically so we can ensure that we save good agricultural land,” he said.
The plan will also guide agro-industrial zoning to link farming areas with processing, storage and markets, strengthening value chains and improving efficiency in the agricultural sector.
Haritatos said the Government intends to finalise initial documentation within three months, with the full masterplan expected within six months.
The proposed framework comes as Zimbabwe continues to grapple with uncoordinated land development, driven by urban expansion, housing demand and weak enforcement of planning regulations. Analysts say the absence of a coherent spatial policy has led to the gradual loss of prime agricultural land and created uncertainty for investors in key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure and real estate.
Officials argue that a structured land classification system could help reduce disputes, improve investment certainty and ensure land is allocated according to its most productive use, in line with long-term national development goals.
Source – H-Metro
The post Zimbabwe moves to introduce 50-year land-use masterplan appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.