Londile Moyo
Theseus Shambare, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT will soon unveil a national land master plan aimed at driving provincial specialisation and accelerating rural industrialisation as Zimbabwe moves to transform land into a productive economic asset.
Lands and Rural Development Minister, Vangelis Haritatos, announced the development during the official opening of the 2026 Rural Industrialisation and Economic Empowerment Indaba underway at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.
The indaba is running under the theme: “From Policy to Production: Leveraging Economic Empowerment for Accelerated Rural Industrialisation.”
Minister Haritatos said the planned master plan would guide the strategic use of land across provinces in line with national development priorities.
“In the coming months, I will be working with my team on a national master plan, which will be within our new land policy. Specialisation within our respective provinces is a must,” he said.
He said the initiative was part of broader efforts to ensure land becomes the foundation of industrial growth, job creation and value addition in rural communities.
“Land is the bedrock. As the newly formed Ministry of Lands and Rural Development, we recognise that there is no production without the land and the communities who steward it,” said Minister Haritatos.
The Government’s focus, he said, had shifted from merely increasing raw agricultural output to ensuring products are processed locally for higher returns.
“The era of merely celebrating increased tonnage of primary produce is beyond us. The next phase of our development journey is about value, beneficiation and industrial might,” he said.
The minister further explained that the master plan would align production zones with market infrastructure, creating integrated value chains across the country.
“We are strengthening land use planning and agro-industrial zoning. We’re aligning production zones with market infrastructure, ensuring that a farmer in a remote district becomes a vital link in a global industrial chain,” he said.
Through this intervention, the Government is targeting strong growth in agriculture and allied industries through deliberate reforms and increased productivity.
“Our target is ambitious but achievable — to grow this sector into a US$15,8 billion economy by 2030,” he said.
Minister Haritatos said provincial specialisation would allow each region to maximise its comparative advantages in agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing, while attracting investment into rural districts.
He urged delegates attending the indaba to focus on practical outcomes and partnerships that translate policy into real production.
“Let’s not leave here with just notes, let’s leave here with partnerships, let’s leave here with concrete plans for the factory floor, not just the policy desk,” said Haritatos.
The planned land master plan is expected to become a key pillar in Zimbabwe’s drive to modernise land use, unlock rural investment and speed up the march towards Vision 2030.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter