No more land for resettlement

Business Writer 

As much as 250 000 land seekers in Zimbabwe are still on the waiting list, but most of the land has been redistributed, the Parliament heard on Wednesday, signalling the end of the land reform programme which started about two decades.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, said most of the land had been taken and there were no more farms for new beneficiaries.

Zimbabwe repossessed land from about 4500 white farmers since 2000 and redistributed it to black families as it sought to redress colonial imbalances and economically empower its citizens. The exercise remains Zimbabwe’s most successful empowerment story.

Dr Masuka said most of the land that had been earmarked for resettlement had been taken.

“As of now, most of the land has been distributed,” Dr Masuka said. “If you go around, you will not find a place that is vacant. 

“Even where there is no farming, but in the registry, these farms will be having owners,” he said. “As of now, most of the land has been distributed. If you go around, you will not find a place that is vacant.” 

Dr Masuka said the government was making a follow-up on those who owns more than one farm and those who have abandoned their farms for re-allocation.

“We refer to them as multiple farm owners. We are following up also on those who abandoned their farms. We also take note of those who are underutilising their land. 

“We will take action on derelict farm owners.

He said only few would benefit as some of the farmers would be downsized. “We are now looking at downsizing farms and redistributing to others,” said Dr Masuka.