Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent ZIMBABWE’s land reform programme has entered a decisive phase in which secure land tenure must be translated into increased agricultural productivity, investment and national economic growth…
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’s land reform programme has entered a decisive phase in which secure land tenure must be translated into increased agricultural productivity, investment and national economic growth through the issuance of title deeds, Land Tenure Implementation Committee chairman Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei has said.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ breakfast meeting on advancing land tenure reform, title deeds, bankability and agricultural investment in Harare on Thursday, Dr Tagwirei said while the land redistribution programme has successfully addressed historical imbalances, the country’s focus was now on unlocking the economic potential of the land.
“Zimbabwe has resolved the question of who holds the land. The question before this room is what we can do with that land, for its holder, for the community and for the economy,” he said.
Dr Tagwirei said land tenure reform was no longer merely an administrative process but an economic transformation programme aimed at integrating land into the formal economy and making it a productive national asset.
He said notable progress has already been made under the Presidential Title Deeds Programme, with 27 045 farms surveyed through the One Stop Centre and 10 231 matched to their beneficiaries as at August 24, 2026.
To date, 1 824 agreements of sale valued at US$110,4 million have been concluded, comprising US$79,5 million in mortgages and US$30,9 million in cash agreements, while 1 417 title deeds have been registered.
“The system works end to end, from survey to registered deed. Secondly, our current objective is to address the challenge of scale by expediting survey, valuation and registration processes so that each of our 351 998 beneficiaries receives their title,” said Dr Tagwirei.
He said the title deed was more than a legal document and described it as an economic instrument capable of unlocking investment and expanding access to finance.
“Secure tenure makes land bankable. Bankable land attracts investment. Investment raises productivity; and productivity delivers household and national prosperity,” Dr Tagwirei said.
He urged financial institutions to embrace the reforms by designing products suited to the agricultural sector.
“Treat this reform as an opportunity, not a risk-management exercise,” he said, adding that no farmer should receive a title deed without being able to access seasonal finance, asset finance and insurance.
Dr Tagwirei said the One Stop Centre was designed to simplify land administration by providing a coordinated process covering surveys, valuation, agreements of sale, payment and title registration, while safeguarding beneficiaries against double allocations and illegal evictions.
He said the success of the programme will be measured by the extent to which women, youths and smallholder farmers benefited from secure tenure and improved access to finance, markets and technology.
Dr Tagwirei challenged Government, the banking sector, private investors, land professionals and development partners to play their respective roles in ensuring that land tenure reform delivers broad-based economic benefits.
“The vision before us is larger than title deeds. Secure Tenure. Bankable Land. A Productive Zimbabwe. These are not slogans; they are a pathway,” he said.
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