Zimbabwe to start prioritising A2 farmers in new land title deed initiative
Zimbabwe has launched a new initiative to streamline the issuance of title deeds, prioritising A2 farmers in the initial phase.
The establishment of a dedicated one-stop centre aims to expedite the process of acquisition of title deeds by the farmers in a move expected to strengthen land ownership security and boost agricultural productivity.
While the initial focus is on A2 farmers, the Government is working on modalities to survey and subsequently process title deeds for smaller – scale farmers.
“We are currently processing the title deeds for A2 farmers before moving to A1 beneficiaries,” said one official.
The exercise, being spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, will grant full ownership rights to holders of valid offer letters, A2 permits, 99 – year leases, A1 settlement permits, A1 temporary permits, and ALSA leases, according to an official flier seen by this publication.
“Surveyed farms will be processed within three days for farmers paying cash on the purchase price,” reads part of the flier. “Farmers paying the purchase price within 90 days, will be deemed as a cash payment and will have the title deeds processed upon payment of deposit and then collect deeds after full payment.
“Farmers who require mortgage arrangements are advised that, Government is finalising the modalities with selected banks for this facility. Once the modalities are completed, the nation will be informed.”
Initially, all processing will be centralised at the Harare one-stop centre located at Makombe Complex.
However, the Government has plans to decentralise the process to provincial and selected district offices in the near future to make it more accessible to farmers across the country.
The Government’s issuance of title deeds is anticipated to not only provide security of tenure but also empower farmers to invest in their land and improve productivity.
Secure land ownership is often a prerequisite for accessing credit and other financial services, which can further fuel agricultural development and contribute to the country’s economic growth. This initiative is therefore seen as a potentially transformative step in
Zimbabwe’s agricultural landscape.
Zimbabwe’s land reform programme, initiated at the turn of the millennium, aimed to redistribute land from predominantly white commercial farmers to black Zimbabwean farmers.
This exercise, while benefiting a majority of black Zimbabweans, drew mixed reactions internationally, with Western nations imposing sanctions citing concerns over property rights.
Conversely, some voices supported the move, emphasising its importance in redressing colonial-era imbalances.
Although thousands of farmers benefited from the redistribution, the transition led to a decline in agricultural production.
A key factor was the lack of secure land tenure, which hindered farmers’ access to credit from banks.
While the Government has intervened on several occasions with facilities, often backed by State guarantees, these efforts have faced challenges.
Some farmers have struggled to meet their loan obligations, impacting the sustainability of the programmes.
Analysts believe the current initiative to issue title deeds is a crucial step towards addressing this issue, providing farmers with secure land ownership and facilitating access to finance, which is expected to boost the agricultural sector.-ebsinessweekl
