adminLovemore Mataire Senior Reporter
Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said all chiefs must be allocated farms as they are custodians of the land under their jurisdiction.
Cde Mombeshora made the remarks last week while addressing chiefs in Marondera who were given offer letters for A2 farms in Mashonaland East Province.
The minister hailed the move taken by Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Cde Joel Biggie Matiza in identifying land for allocation to chiefs.
“Our desire as Government is to ensure that all chiefs in the country have land. Chiefs are custodians of not just our culture, but also the land and all that is in the soil including minerals.
“It was indeed an anomaly that most chiefs were left out during allocation of land especially A2 farms,” said Cde Mombeshora.
He urged other provinces to emulate Cde Matiza who, within a month of his appointment as the provincial minister, had managed to identify land and allocate it to chiefs as an acknowledgement of the important role they play in development and maintaining cohesion and unity.
The minister said Government intended to establish a chief in all resettlement areas so as to have traditional authority in each area.
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