ZIMBABWE was now focusing on unlocking the economic potential of the country’s land after a successful land redistribution exercise which addressed historical imbalances caused by colonisation.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholder’s breakfast meeting this morning, Land Tenture Implementation Committee Chairperson Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei said the country land reform programme had entered a decisive phase in which secure land tenure should be translated into increased agricultural productivity, investment and national economic growth through the issuance of title deeds.
“The vision before us is larger than title deeds. It is captured in three phrases: Secure tenure. Bankable land. A productive Zimbabwe. These are not slogans; they are a pathway. Secure tenure gives us the foundation. Bankability provides access to capital. Productivity creates economic value, and drives national development,” he said.
Dr Tagwirei said President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, had outlined the objective in Vision 2030: “A prosperous Zimbabwe where all families possess land, cultivate it, and share in its benefits.” “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. He has granted us access to the land. It is our responsibility to transform it into tangible results. Under his leadership, Zimbabwe is being built by its own people, brick upon brick, stone upon stone,” Tagwirei said.
He said the 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.
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 post Zimbabwe’s land to create economic value appeared first on The Financial Gazette.
