Govt to cut Manicaland farm sizes

Samuel Kadungure -Senior Reporter
A2 FARMERS in Manicaland who were allocated vast tracts of land under the land reform programme – which most have over the years failed to optimally utilise – are set to lose it as Government moves to trim farm sizes and parcel the excess to other beneficiaries.Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, who chairs the provincial lands committee – an organ mandated to acquire and allocate land in the province – on Tuesday said that ball to rationalise maximum farm sizes had started rolling in Manicaland.

Cde Chimene said the provincial lands committee met on Tuesday afternoon and agreed to implement Statutory 288 of 2000 – which prescribes the maximum farm sizes across the country’s five ecological regions.

The maximum farm size in Natural Region One – which is largely concentrated in Chimanimani, Nyanga, Mutare, Mutasa and Chipinge – but with the exemption of timber plantations – the maximum farm size was pegged at 250ha.

In Region Two – which include parts of Mutare, Makoni and Mutasa districts – maximum farm size was set at 400ha.
The farm size ceiling in Region Three – which encompasses parts of Makoni, Mutasa and Mutare districts has been pegged at 500ha.

In zones Four and Five – which largely encompass parts of Nyanga North, Chipangayi, Chisumbanje, Makoni South and Chipinge – the maximum farm sizes were pegged at 1 000ha and 2 000ha, respectively.

The move by Government is intended to spur production and restore dignity on the farms by putting heat on those that held onto the farms for speculative and prestige purposes. Most of the farms in Manicaland, especially those along major highways, have been neglected, vandalised and turned into white elephants.

The farms were productive prior to their occupation by the current crop of farmers and only very few have justified their presence on the farms through high productivity.

“We have been given instruction to immediately implement Statutory 288 of 2000 that stipulates the maximum farm sizes in view of the overwhelming list of people in need of land. This is a regulation we have to comply with as a province. It is a national programme and we are going to be seen to be implementing it,” said Cde Chimene.

Cde Chimene said the committee already has a list of farms earmarked for downsizing, but said the door was still open for those with excess land to own up and approach the committee to negotiate which part of the farm they intend to retain.

“That can make our job a lot easier, but if people drag their feet waiting for the team to visit their properties, then chances of negotiations will be minimal and one may end up losing the part of the farm that they may be interested in,” said Cde Chimene.

Cde Chimene also warned unscrupulous farmers against stripping and vandalising farm infrastructure saying the downsizing process will be guided by the farm inventories signed at the date of allocation.
“It is an offence and we cannot allow that. The law will certainly take its course. Nobody was allocated a farm for the purposes of stripping or vandalising it. The purpose was to produce,” said Cde Chimene.

Cde Chimene said the provincial committee will stick to the book in its operations, adding that no amount of resistance or frustration will make them back down.

“Those not utilising the farms will also be bracketed for downsizing. You cannot retain land that you are not productively using even if the farm size is as required. We want productivity on the farms more than anything. Incompetence is incompetence, and cannot be defended by whether or not the farm size is per requirement. Underutilised farms will also fall in the category of being downsized.

“As a committee we are already moving, and will not expect any form of resistance because nobody owns the land. It’s State land. We are on the farms on lease, not as owners. The acquiring authority does not expect anyone to throw spanners in the process. You cannot deny the State the right to reposes its land and reallocate it to another citizen,” said Cde Chimene.

Cde Chimene said those farmers along major highways should fence their farms to deter animals from straying onto the roads.

She also warned farmers against starting uncontrolled veld fires.
“We also urge farmers along the highways to fence their farms in order to deter or to protect the road users from stray animals.

It is also matter that has come to our concern due to the high number of accidents involving animals on our roads,” said Cde Chimene.