admin
Senior Reporter
COUNCILS will slash maize planted on undesignated land and prosecute the perpetrators, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Cde Joe Biggie Matiza has warned. Most urban dwellers have of late been resorting to planting maize on undesignated council land to supplement food for their families.
In an interview on Friday, Cde Matiza said urban farming should be done in areas designated by the local authorities.
“As Government we are not against peri-urban or urban farming activities. In fact, we encourage farming because our country’s economy is agro-based. We are actually against the illegal utilisation of land where you find people farming in areas which have not been designated.
“In as much as we promote peri-urban programmes, we are also saying people should not farm on undesignated land. We don’t want our cities and towns to lose their lustre and we will not condone any form of illegality and we have ordered councils to act accordingly,” said Cde Matiza.
Following the onset of the rain season, several people in most urban areas have started cultivating on open spaces apparently in defiance of council by-laws.
In Bulawayo, the city’s residents are converting some non-developed land such as abandoned and under-utilised stands into fields.
Most open pieces of land in Bulawayo’s residential areas, especially in the high-density suburbs, are being cleared, as residents are preparing to plant crops, particularly maize.
This is however, despite a recent notice by the Bulawayo City Council, warning residents against cultivating on undesignated land.
According to the notice issued by the town clerk, Mr Middleton Nyoni, crops grown in such areas would be destroyed and perpetrators fined or prosecuted.
“Notice is hereby given to members of the public that according to Act 12/73 of Bulawayo (Protection of Lands and Natural Resources) by-laws of 1984, cultivation of undesignated areas is prohibited and discouraged at all costs.
“Stream bank cultivation will attract a fine or crops shall be destroyed by council workers and no compensation shall be paid,” read part of the notice.
Council has in the past come under fire from residents for slashing their crops.
Bulawayo residents who spoke to Chronicle yesterday urged the city council to provide them with farming land where they could cultivate without violating the by-laws.
“The rain season has just started and we need to start planting crops. We are therefore calling on the city council to provide us with land so that we don’t violate by-laws by planting on undesignated areas.
“We don’t want our maize to be slashed when we start farming,” said Mrs Nokuthula Moyo of Magwegwe North.
Another resident, Mr Joyce Ndlovu of Pelandaba, said: “The city council must allocate us alternative areas to farm because most of us rely on farming to feed our families.”
Urban farming has over the years grown popular largely because of abundant open spaces in most towns and cities.
Cde Matiza said his ministry was also in the process of putting up measures aimed at cleaning up cities and towns of illegal settlements.
“We are worried about the proliferation of illegal structures in our towns and cities. This has to stop and we are continuing with our efforts of clearing up illegal settlements so that our urban centres are habitable and continuously clean,” he said.
Online Reporter