Land title to unlock untapped value

IN December, President Mnangagwa launched the Land Tenure Implementation Programme at Pricabe Farm in Kwekwe, a groundbreaking initiative under which more than 366 000 farmers who have received land since 1980 will be progressively granted title to their landholdings over the next 18 months. In an interview last week, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister DR ANXIOUS MASUKA outlined how the programme was set to unlock immense untapped value in Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector.

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Q: Can you outline the positive outcomes that are envisaged to accrue from the new policy shift?

A: Firstly, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr ED Mnangagwa, has taken a revolutionary step to improve the security of tenure, in compliance with the Constitution. 

Second, the new title will allow landowners the option to secure financing for their agricultural activities. 

The title will potentially allow capital markets to improve their participation in agricultural value chains. 

Third, the title will allow for official farm subdivisions to cater for family inheritance. 

Fourth, the title will create a new land market, creating opportunities for land transfers to qualifying Zimbabweans. 

Fifth, the title provides an exit strategy for farmers who opt out of farming and will recover their investment. 

These options are not fully addressed by the current leases and permits regime.

Q: Outline how the programme is set to be rolled out?

A: As you are aware, the Second Republic is focused on economic development to achieve Vision 2030, and agriculture plays a critical role in this economic growth trajectory. 

The land that has been allocated to Zimbabweans has to this day been regarded as dead capital, so this land tenure reform is meant to give land the capital value that it has by allowing current tenure holders to purchase from the Government and get title deeds. 

The launch by His Excellency on December 20, 2024, a milestone achievement in the history of the land reform and the country, saw 10 A2 farmers being issued with title deeds. 

It is also planned that by March 31, 2025, an additional 2 500 farmers would have been issued with title deeds and the expectation is that by June 30, 2026, all the farmers will have title deeds. 

These are the categories of farmers to be issued with title deeds: model A2 farmers; model A1 farmers; old resettlement farmers; commercial settlement farming schemes; and small-scale commercial farms. 

The title deeds issuance exercise will not cover communal farmers who are currently being administered by the rural district councils and traditional leaders. 

Q: How do you envisage the new title deeds programme impacting agricultural productivity and farmers’ access to credit? 

A: The farmers will now have full confidence to invest in medium- and long-term infrastructure and production ventures on the farms now that there is certainty, and such investments will certainly boost productivity. 

Financial institutions require collateral to issue loans and these title deeds are very good collateral for that purpose.

As such, we expect financial institutions to lend money to farmers on the basis of these title deeds. 

The Government has engaged four banks to work with it under this programme, but we expect more banks to join in as the future of financing lies in the agriculture sector, where there are sure returns, especially now that we are climate-proofing our agricultural production.

The certainty that comes with title deeds means we have eliminated the holding of land for speculative purposes, thus farmers will engage in sustainable production, with the Government continuing to play the oversight role. 

Any challenges that may arise in future will be dealt with as they arise, but by and large, this programme brings only positives both to the individuals who are to get the title deeds and to the positive development of the economy. 

Q: How is the Government ensuring that special interest groups such as war veterans, women and youths benefit from this initiative?

A: The title deed issuance programme takes into cognisance all the various categories of people who have land and will indeed prioritise war veterans, women, youths and people living with disabilities. 

Since everyone is going to have a title deed, it implies that those falling under the mentioned categories will not be left out. 

However, as a proactive measure, the 10 title deeds that were issued at the launch have representatives of the war veterans, women and persons living with disabilities.

For the 2 500 being prepared, in line with the March 31 deadline, all these categories are adequately covered, and this approach will be replicated throughout the process.

War veterans fought in the liberation struggle that brought about independence and were at the forefront of the Land Reform Programme. 

Their aspirations are to empower the citizens of this country, so this programme is the epitome of empowerment and, as always, the war veterans are at the forefront in terms of implementation and benefitting.

Q: How will you ensure fairness in this process?

A: Land distribution has already been done and the land tenure review is to capacitate those who already have land. 

But to elaborate on the fairness of the land distribution, the land allocations under the Land Reform Programme were being done by district land committees and provincial land committees, whose composition included key stakeholders like traditional leaders, war veterans, rural district councils, women, the youth, security services and relevant Government departments. 

Q: There have been reports of some parallel structures that have been formed purporting to be leading the programme in some parts of the country. Can you give us an assurance that the Government will not tolerate any corruption in the rollout of this historic programme?

A: We are not aware of any parallel structures that have been created but in the past, we have had fraudsters masquerading as land officials to dupe innocent citizens.

These were handed over to the security arms as and when they were reported, and the ministry has always been advising the public not to pay for land allocation. 

Corruption is a cancer that the Second Republic does not condone and, as such, where allegations of corruption are reported, we take them seriously and investigate as a ministry and hand over these culprits to agencies put in place by the Government to deal with corruption; that is, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe Republic Police. 

The current process of issuing title deeds to legitimate land reform beneficiaries has no room for corruption since the President is going to issue everyone with title deeds.