Zim govt issues new land A1 land permits

Government will give new permits with an indefinite tenure to smallholder farmers who received land seized from white farmers after cancelling initial offer letters over allegations of corruption.

According to a new statutory instrument in the Government Gazette published on Friday, the new permits will replace the offer letters which were recalled last November.

Farmers who lose their land after receiving the new permits are entitled to compensation from government "except where the permit holder has or is deemed to have finally and absolutely abandoned the allocated land" and then only for improvements made on the land and crops grown before the termination or cancellation of the permit.

Meanwhile, farmers have called on Government to finalise improvements on 99-year land leases so that they can be accepted as collateral.

Farmers have been having difficulties accessing loans from banks because the current leases are considered unsecured.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union director Paul Zakariya said, "Lack of funding has been affecting most farmers as they cannot raise capital on their own. Land should be securitised so that farmers can borrow against it."

Marondera farmer Phineas Makura said it was unfortunate that Government was taking long to securitise land.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Wonder Chabikwa said although the idea of securitising land was noble, farmers could end up losing their land offers after failing to repay loans.