Londile Moyo
Theseus Shambare in Bulawayo
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 held on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) 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 will 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 is 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.
He said Government’s focus has shifted from merely increasing raw agricultural output to ensuring products are processed locally for higher economic 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.
Minister Haritatos said the master plan will align production zones with market infrastructure, creating integrated value chains across the country.
“We are strengthening land use planning and agro-industrial zoning. We are 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.
Government, he said, 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.
He added that provincial specialisation will enable regions to maximise their comparative advantages in agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing, while attracting investment into rural districts.
The master plan is expected to become a key pillar in Zimbabwe’s drive to modernise land use, unlock rural investment and accelerate progress towards Vision 2030.
Sidumisile Mabena
Online Reporter