LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Government is offering land around towns and cities to the Diaspora community in a bid to attract
investment into the agriculture sector.
The move is meant to improve capacity utilisation of the land and improve investment in agriculture.
The Diaspora community will buy the agro-residential land at a fee and will get the title upon completion of the processes.
The Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Ministry wrote letters to different
embassies to encourage Zimbabweans in various parts of the world to buy land back home.
“…some land has been identified for allocation and resettlement, including to those in Diaspora. Specifically, there is under consideration, an agro-residential of between 10 and 25 hectares around
major towns and cities will be sold with buyers getting title deeds,” the
ministry wrote.
The ministry said applicants have to comply accordingly for ease of processing by the relevant
authorities.
It said the completed application forms have to be submitted to the ministry through a courier or an
individual duly appointed to do so.
The Provincial Land Committees will screen applicants in terms of set criteria and recommend to the
minister for allocation.
The programme is described as the second phase of the equitable land redistribution programme which is
meant to increase investment and production.
According to the lands ministry most of the applications were backed by solid project proposals.
The thrust of his message in both engagements was aimed at promoting Agro-based investment and an
increased participation of Diaspora based economic participation through a continental fund aimed to
complete Agenda 2063.
To date, the Diaspora Agricultural Engagement Cluster has over 117 applications for A2 farms.
The Cluster will help to deliver sustainable partnership between the Diaspora and farmers back home
in both identifying markets and sourcing modern farming equipment abroad.
The Diaspora initiative to own land back home was revived by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
call for viable economic reforms which targeted a review of all the productive sectors including
agriculture.
