Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is targeting 360 000 title deeds for A1 and A2 beneficiaries as it works to strengthen security of tenure, unlock the value of agricultural land and help farmers increase production.
A total of 1 418 title deeds have already successfully gone through the registration process, with more applications at various stages, Permanent Secretary for Lands and Rural Development Professor Prosper Matondi has said.
He told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden that the Presidential Title Deeds Programme was gaining momentum as Government worked to formalise land rights for beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme.
The programme, launched by President Mnangagwa in December 2024, is designed to transform existing forms of land tenure into secure, registrable and bankable title, enabling farmers to unlock greater economic value from their land.
Prof Matondi said the Government had established a Land Tenure Implementation Committee to coordinate the programme and ensure the national target of 360 000 properties was achieved.
“The programme was launched in October 2024 by the President,” he said.
“After that, it was decided that a smoothing of the programme needed to be done by broadening the institutional framework.
“So, a Land Tenure Implementation Committee was then formed by the Government, and its role was to ensure that targets are met, targets being that we wanted to provide title to 360 000 properties in the A1 and in the A2 models.”
Prof Matondi said to date, 1 418 title deeds have gone through the process, and there are others “waiting in the pipeline”.
He said the strong demand for title deeds reflected farmers’ desire to formalise their land rights and participate more fully in the formal agricultural economy.
“So, per day, just to give you an example, we receive applicants of up to 500, which means that there is wider interest from society to want to do their title deed registration,” he said.
The title deeds are expected to provide farmers with stronger tenure security while creating opportunities to use their land as an economic asset and improve access to finance for agricultural development.
The programme is also aligned with the Government’s broader drive to modernise agriculture and build an upper-middle-income economy under Vision 2030.
Prof Matondi said Government was strengthening the verification and registration processes to ensure that beneficiaries receive secure and properly registered tenure documents.
He said officials were working with farmers and communities to verify land records, boundaries and other information required for registration.
“In many cases, we are now investing more money in tracking records to those who look for interest.
“We go to the farms to verify the ownership by looking at the tower diagrams and what is on the ground to see if it is matching, and if it is not, we then suggest ways in which we can use the beneficiaries as well as the community to confirm the boundaries.”
Prof Matondi said Government was also working with conveyancers and other stakeholders to facilitate the surveying and registration process.
The programme is being complemented by efforts to modernise land administration, including the Digital Land Administration Platform, which has been piloted as part of Government’s drive to improve efficiency in the management and registration of land.
Government remains committed to ensuring that all eligible beneficiaries are able to secure formal tenure.
Said Prof Matondi: “We are saying we need to help our farmers because we believe strongly as a Ministry that every Zimbabwean, no matter who they are, have got a right to land.
“Therefore, as Government, we will do all that is possible to ensure that that right to land is guaranteed,” he said.
He said the programme would continue to be accelerated, with particular attention being paid to the A1 model, whose communal and multiple-use settlement arrangements require tailored approaches to formalisation.
The initiative is expected to strengthen farmers’ confidence in investing in their properties, facilitate access to credit and contribute to increased agricultural productivity, food security and rural economic development.
Government’s broader land-tenure reforms will ensure the gains of the Land Reform Programme translate into productive, secure and economically empowered farming communities.
