New dawn for land owners

This week, Government of Zimbabwe, resolved to introduce a bankable, registrable and transferrable document of tenure to replace 99-year leases, offer letters and permits to provide enhanced security to beneficiaries of land reform programme.

The  could see land owners to access cheap loans from local lenders, who have been  rejecting the 99 year lease as collateral saying they were not bankable  and farmers cannot use them  since land belonged to the State, meaning it could not be sold  to recover funds in the event of farmers defaulting  on loan repayments.

The lenders demanded immovable assets, which most farmers do not have.

Now, the latest move by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is a welcome development  and this could enable them to increase  production and productivity on the farms.

“Against this background and in line with Section 292 of the Constitution read together with Sections 289, 293 and 294 that obligates the State to give security of tenure to every person and to alienate for value agricultural land among other requirements, Government will implement  several measures including that all land held by beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme under 99-year leases, offer letters and permits, will now be held under a bankable, registrable and transferrable more secure document of tenure, to be issued by the Government of Zimbabwe to beneficiaries.

“As such, beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme will now have enhanced security of tenure to the land they legitimately hold,” Information Minister Dr Muswere said.

He  said priority will be given to veterans of the liberation struggle, youths and women.

The land, he said will only be transferrable among indigenous Zimbabweans.

“The land targeted for the new land tenure system will exclude communal land that is under the jurisdiction of traditional Chiefs,” he  said.

According to Dr Muswere,  urban land will only be made commercially available to credible and approved land developers who will add value to the land in compliance with all relevant laws and protocols.