Govt to avail land to those in the diaspora

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

CABINET on Tuesday adopted the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle for Accelerating the Allocation of Land to Zimbabweans including those in the Diaspora.

The Special Purpose Vehicle is especially directed towards empowerment, unlocking investment and land value.

Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Motsvangwa said the vehicle will see Zimbabweans, including those in the diaspora and local being able to invest and be given shares.

“The vehicle creates a viable market place for land through which anyone wishing to access land can go through. This is a vehicle for empowerment, unlocking investment and land value. The land will be obtained from multiple farm owners, abandoned land, derelict land and under-utilised land.

“The vehicle will enhance land preservation, avoid large-scale villagisation, and assure national food security while simultaneously creating value addition and beneficiation, industrialisation and rural development as well as generating exports,” said Min Mutsvangwa.

The Minister noted that Government had continued to note a significant increase in demand for land in recent years while noting the significant milestones that have been recorded in re-distributing land under the Land Reform Programme.

“260 000 people on the waiting list for land, with an estimated 10 000 in the Diaspora having indicated an interest to access land. Indeed, the efforts have created a new crop of agricultural entrepreneurs.

“However, the existing schemes for availing land have become insufficient to satisfy the needs of the many registered and potential land-seekers, as well as strengthening the agricultural entrepreneurial class. The Special Purpose Vehicle will therefore provide a viable alternative for meeting this demand, and will complement conventional land access routes,” she said.

The Minister further noted that the concept was being further refined and the nation will be advised of the details in due course.