News / National
Land audit to end next month
09 Feb 2019 at 07:07hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT is set to complete the national land audit next month, an exercise expected to address the issue of multiple farm ownership and underutilised land.
Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Douglas Karoro said Government was even considering repossessing land from beneficiaries of the land reform programme who deserted the properties.
He revealed this during the National Assembly Question and Answer session on Wednesday.
"Government wants to see a situation whereby there is fairness in land ownership. I will give an example of what is currently obtaining in our Ministry. There is a land audit that is currently underway. We expect to finalise the exercise by the end of March," Karoro said.
He said the Land Commission, which has been conducting hearings across the country, would be critical in deciding what to be done with unutilised land.
"Currently, we have people who own land but they are not fully utilising that land. We have people who have been offered land but they are absent from the country. Government may come up with two scenarios. The first scenario is that Government is going to keep that land as State land for future development programmes. The other option is that Government may decide to distribute this land to landless people," Karoro said.
In case Government redistributes land, it will make sure that the exercise is done fairly without discrimination on creed, colour or gender.
"A farmer is going to be looked at as a farmer who has capacity and competence. The essence is that we want to produce enough food for everybody as a country and surplus for export. In short, Government is looking at ways that are non-discriminatory in terms of allocating land to those people who want land," Karoro said.
Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Douglas Karoro said Government was even considering repossessing land from beneficiaries of the land reform programme who deserted the properties.
He revealed this during the National Assembly Question and Answer session on Wednesday.
"Government wants to see a situation whereby there is fairness in land ownership. I will give an example of what is currently obtaining in our Ministry. There is a land audit that is currently underway. We expect to finalise the exercise by the end of March," Karoro said.
He said the Land Commission, which has been conducting hearings across the country, would be critical in deciding what to be done with unutilised land.
"Currently, we have people who own land but they are not fully utilising that land. We have people who have been offered land but they are absent from the country. Government may come up with two scenarios. The first scenario is that Government is going to keep that land as State land for future development programmes. The other option is that Government may decide to distribute this land to landless people," Karoro said.
In case Government redistributes land, it will make sure that the exercise is done fairly without discrimination on creed, colour or gender.
"A farmer is going to be looked at as a farmer who has capacity and competence. The essence is that we want to produce enough food for everybody as a country and surplus for export. In short, Government is looking at ways that are non-discriminatory in terms of allocating land to those people who want land," Karoro said.
Source - the herald
