Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika, [email protected]
SERVING and retired civil servants are set to benefit from a discounted land purchase incentive framework approved by President Mnangagwa and announced by Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei, chairperson of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee (LTIC).
The LTIC was constituted by President Mnangagwa last year and tasked with unlocking the value of commercial and urban land through the provision of security of tenure — including title deeds — which will make land tradable and bankable.
Announcing the incentive for current and retired civil servants, Dr Tagwirei said the move was intended to cushion public servants following the erosion of their pensions during the hyperinflation era that Zimbabwe has experienced since 2000.
“In consideration of the impact of hyperinflation since 2000, which significantly eroded the purchasing power and savings of public servants, both serving and retired civil servants shall qualify for tiered discounts based on cumulative years of service,” Dr Tagwirei said.
Under the framework, civil servants who have served above five years will be eligible for a five percent discount, while those above ten years will receive a ten percent discount. Those with more than twenty years of service will be discounted twenty percent, and civil servants who have served forty years and above will receive a thirty percent discount.
“This measure recognises the long-term commitment of civil servants to national development and aims to provide a pathway to asset ownership and economic security,” Dr Tagwirei said.
Beyond civil servants, the framework will also benefit war veterans, ex-detainees, ex-restrictees, non-combatant cadres, and war collaborators.
Dr Tagwirei announced that the LTIC had secured President Mnangagwa’s approval for a comprehensive land purchase incentives framework designed to advance land tenure security, agricultural productivity, and equitable access to productive resources. He said the framework followed extensive consultations with representatives of war veterans and ministries responsible for land administration, and recognised the foundational role of secure land tenure in achieving food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable rural development.
Regarding war veterans, Dr Tagwirei said they shall benefit from concessionary pricing structured across five agro-ecological regions reflecting land productivity and agricultural potential. For those allocated land in Region One of up to six hectares, they will pay a concessionary rate of US$10 total. Those with land of up to ten hectares in Region Two will pay US$6 per hectare, while those in Region Three with up to twenty hectares will pay US$3 per hectare. In Region Four, those with up to forty hectares will pay US$1,50 per hectare, and beneficiaries with up to seventy hectares in Region Five will pay US$1,17 per hectare. An overall concession of eighty-five percent shall be applied after the base concessionary rate.
Ex-detainees, ex-restrictees, and non-combatant cadres will receive a 30 percent discount on land purchases, while war collaborators will benefit from a 15 percent discount on their purchases.
Dr Tagwirei called on beneficiaries to take note of the provisions and their eligibility categories, and to engage relevant offices in the Ministry of Lands and Rural Development for guidance on application procedures. He urged proper documentation of eligibility status, including veteran status and service records, and compliance with all implementation procedures as communicated by authorised offices. Individuals who have already made payments will be reimbursed in due course and guided on the next steps.
When we fought the liberation war we used the famous relationship of fish and water between the peasants and those who carried guns that was articulated in Chairman Mao’s red book, and no one will ever doubt that without the peasants in the rural set ups this war would not have been won. In fact the war wouldn’t have gone anywhere without the support of the peasants. What is surprising now is that the government itself a child of the liberation struggle is actively separating the so-called war veterans from their partners in the struggle, the peasants. How many in the civil service had been born or old enough to participate in the struggle that they now deserve to take places in front in the queue for benefits while the peasants still languish in abject poverty in rural areas? Why are war veterans being identified and separated from the peasants? Have they forgotten the “water” that gave them life and support during the struggle? Why are those who never participated in the liberation of this country enjoying more benefits than those who sacrificed life and limb? It is the depth of unfairness that the government continues to look at a generation of civil servants who were not even born when we liberated this country while ignoring the plight of rural people who bore the brand of the struggle.