Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
THE Government is expediting the completion of farmland surveys and implementation of recommendations from the Comprehensive National Agricultural Land Audit (CNALA) to consolidate land reform gains and enhance the country’s food and nutrition security.
Following the Land Reform Programme at the turn of the millennium, Zimbabwe experienced a slump in agricultural output, recording historically low harvests due to a combination of challenges that included economic sanctions, climatic shocks, limited access to inputs and a shortage of experienced farmers.
Some beneficiaries occupied prime land but could not effectively utilise it, leading to underproduction, boundary disputes and cases of multiple ownership.
This situation prompted the Government to commission the CNALA through the Zimbabwe Land Commission (ZLC) to assess land allocation, ownership, utilisation and productivity across the country.
Under the broader agricultural transformation plan anchored in Vision 2030, the audit seeks to ensure that every hectare of land contributes meaningfully to food security, economic growth and rural development.
At least 254 538 farms were audited nationwide during the first phase, a process that examined land allocation, beneficiary distribution, investment levels, production, land management, environmental practices and provision of social services.
The audit also covered extension services, farming methods, business models, leasing and joint venture arrangements, tenure security and the overall enjoyment of landholder rights.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Professor Obert Jiri said the initiative would ensure that all allocated land is productively utilised, properly surveyed and managed under secure tenure.
“Government has established a high-level committee coordinated by the Permanent Secretary to spearhead implementation of the recommendations in the Comprehensive National Agricultural Land Audit Report, address policy issues raised and track progress regarding implementation,” Prof Jiri said.
The Government, he said, was also issuing title deeds to all resettled farmers, enabling them to use their land as collateral for bank loans while strengthening tenure security. He emphasised that these measures had facilitated economic opportunity and livelihood security for all land users, particularly vulnerable groups such as women, the youth and persons with disabilities.
ZLC chairperson Commissioner Tendai Bare explained in 2023 that the Land Information Management System (LIMS) was created from auditing State-vested agricultural land, excluding communal areas, as mandated by the Constitution.
She highlighted that the audit had revealed cases of double allocations, which were being addressed through dispute resolution mechanisms.
“It was quite a bit of double allocations and we are dealing with it through dispute resolution.
“With this database, we will minimise double allocations because before a piece of land is allocated, its status will be established,” Commissioner Bare said while presenting the report to President Mnangagwa at State House.
Commissioner Bare further noted that LIMS would also tackle issues of multiple farm ownership, although most cases were limited to beneficiaries who retained small holdings in rural areas while occupying resettlement farms. She also highlighted that even farmers without permits still held offer letters and enjoyed rights such as transfer, occupation, use, exclusivity and ownership.
She explained that the rights not enjoyed, such as disposal and acquisition, are reserved for the State, which decides the type of tenure document to issue.
Many farmers, Commissioner Bare added, were seeking support, including capacitation through the AFC Bank, to fully utilise their holdings. To ensure that the recommendations from CNALA are translated into tangible action on the ground, the Government has established the Land Tenure Implementation Committee chaired by Mr Kudakwashe Tagwirei. The committee is tasked with overseeing the issuance of title deeds, ensuring tenure security, coordinating with the Surveyor-General and ZLC to finalise outstanding surveys, monitoring the resolution of disputes and multiple ownership cases and supporting initiatives such as joint ventures, Pfumvudza/Intwasa and bank loan facilitation.
Prof Jiri said the committee provides a structured mechanism to ensure that the audit’s findings are implemented effectively and translate into improved land productivity, fairness and food security.
By linking historical audit data captured in LIMS with the work of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee, the Government is consolidating land reform gains.
