Zim govt to embark on on-farm inspections

Government will soon carry out on-farm inspections to identify productive A1 farmers that deserve to receive the A1 settlement permits that were launched last week by President Mugabe amid fears that those farmers found deficient could lose their land.

The audits could result in unproductive farmers losing land to people on the waiting list.

Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Douglas Mombeshora last week said a land audit would be carried out to determine A1 farmers who were fully utilising land to qualify for the A1 permits.

Dr Mombeshora said farmers who were illegally settled were not going to get A1 permits. A1 permits confirm ownership of specific pieces of land by resettled farmers.

The permits are not transferable and bear a map of the plot allocated and details of the beneficiaries and their spouses, even in cases of polygamy.

They state that each farmer is entitled to six hectares of arable land and access to communal grazing land.