Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma in Karoi, Mash West
THE Government is in the process of redesigning the land policy as it moves to ensure that it benefits every citizen, with youths and women being prioritised.
The move is set to address under-utilised land in the country which has stalled development mainly in the agricultural sector.
In an interview on the sidelines of the Mashonaland West Province Youth in Agriculture Indaba in Karoi on Friday, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Settlement Vangelis Haritatos said the land policy consultations would be held nationwide.
“We are doing and designing a new land policy and that is a gender sensitive policy. We have launched it in Harare and Manicaland and now we are moving to other provinces and at district level. We want people to be forthcoming and tell us what they want and that also feeds to what the youth have been on record saying,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos.
He urged citizens to attend the consultations in numbers so that their concerns would be noted.
“If they want land let them be forthcoming to the land policy meetings so that we can enshrine it in that policy. Without the youth coming forward to the meetings it’s like I am only pushing my own agenda which is not such. We need the youths and women to be very involved,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos.
He said the challenge they have faced in facilitating the ongoing land audit was of lack of funds.
“The challenge that we have had the past year in doing the audit is the financial capabilities of our economy. Our economy has not been performing well and that has also hindered the good progress that we would have had in the land audit,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos.
He expressed hope that the land audit would be fast tracked if the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development avails money.
Meanwhile, the Youths in Agriculture Apex Council Board (YAACB) has urged the Government to start rolling out land to youths to promote agriculture. YAACB launched its first provincial Youths in Agriculture indaba in Mashonaland West Province yesterday and the programme is set to be rolled to other provinces countrywide in the coming weeks.
Addressing delegates at the launch, YAABC national chairperson Mr John Muchenje said there was under-utilised land which the Government should give the youths.
“The land reform is irreversible. At least 90 percent of youths are renting farms from well-known farm barons and this issue has to come to an end with immediate effect. We are tired of paying for working for our country,” he said.
Mr Muchenje said some youths were being used by farm owners for selfish benefits.
“I can’t lead an association of youths renting farms. As Apex Council, we have been working with young farmers nationwide compiling names of young people leasing farms and the list is endless. Allow me to single out one touching incident where a young farmer purchased a new Hilux as a commitment fee to the farmer who is not even using the farm. If things stay as such, the nation is not going anywhere,” said Mr Muchenje.
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