Zimbabwe’s land tenure reform programme is gathering momentum, with Government projecting that the issuance of bankable and transferable title deeds to farmers could unlock more than US$20 billion in agricultural value and transform the sector into a more commercially driven industry.
The reform represents a major shift from the traditional 99-year lease arrangement towards secure title deeds, which Government says will strengthen property rights, improve investor confidence and enable farmers to access financing using their properties as collateral.
Six Cabinet ministers involved in the land tenure ecosystem met stakeholders at a high-level breakfast meeting in Harare, yesterday, to assess progress and address challenges affecting implementation of the programme.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, said the reform was establishing a more efficient land administration system while restoring confidence in agricultural property rights.
“We are talking of one of the most efficient land administration systems in the world that restores property rights through title deeds and creates confidence in the land administration system in the country,” Dr Masuka said.
He said secure property rights would help reposition agriculture as a business and encourage increased investment in the sector.
Professor Mthuli Ncube said the introduction of title deeds would also improve farmers’ access to capital by giving financial institutions greater security when extending loans.
“Banks are now willing to finance agriculture through loans and mortgages, and investments on the farms will increase,” Prof Ncube said.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said the continued reliance on offer letters was no longer sustainable, as the system had created challenges for Government.
“Offer letters created a lot of problems for the Government, which resorted to other unsustainable programmes that created a burden for the Government,” he said.
The reform is being implemented as part of broader efforts to modernise Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector and support the country’s Vision 2030 development agenda.
Chairperson of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee, Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei, said implementation was progressing well, with a growing number of applications being received.
“The process is unfolding smoothly, and we are receiving many applications and eliminating challenges in creating a robust agriculture sector by giving investors full property rights,” he said.
However, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe warned that illegal land allocations and informal land deals could undermine the title deeds programme.
“Sabhuku deals must stop because we can’t have a successful title deeds programme if every Jack and Jill just parcels out land,” he said.
Government has so far processed 1 800 applications under the programme, with authorities positioning the reform as a key instrument for strengthening property rights, unlocking agricultural finance and attracting investment.
The programme is therefore expected to play a critical role in turning agricultural land into productive economic assets while giving farmers greater security and creating opportunities for long-term investment in the sector.
