Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
The Government is stepping up the issuance of title deeds to beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme across the country with President Mnangagwa expected to hand over the crucial documents to 1 000 farmers in Mashonaland Central today.
The second round of the Presidential Title Deeds Programme will be held at Craigengower Farm in Mazowe in this province.
This initiative was launched by President Mnangagwa last December at Pricabe Farm in Kwekwe to issue deeds of transfer to beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme comprising 23 500 A2 farmers and more than 360 000 A1 farmers.
This national initiative aims to enhance land tenure security and unlock economic potential for landowners.
The event in Mash Central will also coincide with the commissioning of production booster kits, an irrigation package designed to cover one hectare of irrigated land per farmer with each kit comprising of pumps, pipes and related to enable farmers deal with vagaries of weather caused by climate change.
Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Christopher Magomo said everything was in place for today’s event.
“Everything is now in place for tomorrow’s (today’s) historic event. We are expecting at least 30 000 people from all districts in the province.
“All logistical arrangements are in place to host the President. As a province, we are humbled and honoured to host an event of such importance and magnitude,” he said.
The Minister added that as a province, they remain geared towards contributing to the nation’s food security and GDP through increased agricultural productivity.
Minister Magomo said Craigengower Farm was divided into A1 plots with 70 percent of beneficiaries being war veterans.
Spearheaded by the Land Tenure Implementation Committee, the programme seeks to convert land currently held under 99-year leases, offer letters and permits into bankable, registrable and transferable deeds of ownership.
The title deeds will not only provide farmers with security of tenure, but also enable them to use their land as collateral, thereby unlocking access to credit, boosting productivity and encouraging investment in infrastructure.
A deed of transfer serves as a legally binding proof of ownership and is registered with the Deeds Office, making agricultural land more attractive for investment while ensuring clear rules on ownership and transfer.
Government has prioritised boosting small-holder irrigation as part of efforts to improve household food security by reducing reliance on rain fed agriculture.
In 2000, the Government spearheaded the fast-track land reform programme in a bold step to correct historical land ownership imbalances and to empower the black majority.
The land reforms aimed to address colonial imbalances whereby a few white farmers owned most of the best agricultural land in Zimbabwe while the majority blacks were in areas with marginal soils.
Under the Second Republic, there has been a focus on increasing Zimbabwe’s agricultural production and productivity to enhance food security and achieve an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Several key initiatives have been launched to boost the country’s agricultural production.
