Zimbabwe not selling land

Government has dismissed claims that Zimbabwe has sold parcels of land in Mashonaland East and West to North Korea to allow the Asian country to grow cereals and other grains to counter food shortages.

Lands and Rural Resettlement minister Douglas Mombeshora said that he was not aware of such deal or agreements to sell land to the North Koreans.

He said he was not aware and where would they get the land to sell, when as government they have a mandate of securitizing their land for the development of the people of Zimbabwe.

Mombeshora said they have not communicated with Koreans on any land matters and these claims are nothing.

According to the Zimbabwean and Asian news networks it was alleged that the North Korean government purchased large tracts of land for the purposes of agriculture in Zimbabwe.

The networks, which cited an unnamed Asian diplomat in Brussels, stated that North Koreans have purchased land in the Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces, described as "among Zimbabwe's most fertile farming areas".

"We have credible information about North Korea seeking land to grow rice," the source is quoted as saying, "in Mashonaland East or Mashonaland Central under highly mechanised irrigation equipment possibly obtained from China."

Agriculture Irrigation and Mechanisation minister Joseph Made concurred with Mombeshora's sentiments that it would not be possible for Zimbabwe to sell any land when the country has the capacity to produce commodities for its own gains.

"We have A1 and A2 farmers who are capable of producing enough for the country and with the mega deals we have with China and now Russia, we have already pushed for the country to produce agriculture commodities for the two countries for both cash crops and horticulture products," Made said.