News / National
Zimra to swoop on land barons
27 Jul 2017 at 06:46hrs | Views
FINANCE minister Patrick Chinamasa has warned that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) will soon swoop on land barons and launch lifestyle audits on them, even though they are using their membership of Zanu-PF to evade paying taxes.
Chinamasa revealed this in Masvingo on Monday, where he commissioned a low-density housing project run by the Infrastructural Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) in partnership with George Safaris and George Holdings.
"We are going to follow up on land barons, who were evading paying taxes, through lifestyle audits," he said.
"They do not pay taxes. We are going to have our share of the money they put in their pockets, it does not matter who you are or which party you belong to.
"Some people find cover in Zanu-PF to do illegal things. We must rid society of land barons, no one owns land, it belongs to the President."
Chinamasa also warned that land at the country's recently-completed biggest inland dam, Tokwe Mukosi, should be distributed in an orderly manner.
"We want planned development around the Tokwe Mukosi Dam," he said.
"We will not tolerate land barons around the dam. That land is State land.
"We are going to plan properly, so that whoever wants to invest there does so properly. There should not be haphazard and chaotic structures."
Speaking at the same function, Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa cautioned on the dangers of giving too much land to a few individuals.
"Do not give people too much land. No to land barons," she said.
"That is not what we fought for. Let us learn to share.
"We want the (Local Government) ministry to take charge and control land allocation, not to have land barons who are millionaires."
Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere chipped in saying: "There are dubious housing schemes that milk cash from desperate home seekers.
"Their days are numbered; those days are over. We have put stringent measures."
Chinamasa revealed this in Masvingo on Monday, where he commissioned a low-density housing project run by the Infrastructural Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) in partnership with George Safaris and George Holdings.
"We are going to follow up on land barons, who were evading paying taxes, through lifestyle audits," he said.
"They do not pay taxes. We are going to have our share of the money they put in their pockets, it does not matter who you are or which party you belong to.
"Some people find cover in Zanu-PF to do illegal things. We must rid society of land barons, no one owns land, it belongs to the President."
Chinamasa also warned that land at the country's recently-completed biggest inland dam, Tokwe Mukosi, should be distributed in an orderly manner.
"We want planned development around the Tokwe Mukosi Dam," he said.
"We are going to plan properly, so that whoever wants to invest there does so properly. There should not be haphazard and chaotic structures."
Speaking at the same function, Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa cautioned on the dangers of giving too much land to a few individuals.
"Do not give people too much land. No to land barons," she said.
"That is not what we fought for. Let us learn to share.
"We want the (Local Government) ministry to take charge and control land allocation, not to have land barons who are millionaires."
Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere chipped in saying: "There are dubious housing schemes that milk cash from desperate home seekers.
"Their days are numbered; those days are over. We have put stringent measures."
Source - newsday
