Mnangagwa under fire over farms title deeds

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's controversial land tenure reforms have come under intense scrutiny amid criticism from war veterans and political observers, who argue the policy threatens to reverse Zimbabwe's land reform programme.

The Land Tenure Implementation Programme, unveiled by Mnangagwa late last year, is part of Zimbabwe's arrears clearance and debt resolution process, which also seeks to address land tenure security, compensation for former white farmers, and disputes involving properties protected under Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs).

However, former liberation war fighters, who led the invasions of white-owned farms beginning in 2000, have voiced outrage at the government's plans to compel land reform beneficiaries to pay for the land in exchange for title deeds. Under the new scheme, beneficiaries will transition from holding 99-year leases and offer letters to full title deeds. A US$500 per hectare levy will also be introduced for those holding offer letters, permits, or leases for agricultural land, with proceeds earmarked for settling Zimbabwe's US$3.5 billion compensation debt to dispossessed white commercial farmers.

Critics, including political analyst and former journalist Jealousy Mawarire, argue the reforms are unconstitutional and undermine the principles enshrined in Zimbabwe's Constitution.

"Section 290 and Section 72(4) of the Constitution clearly state that all agricultural land vests in the state. Anyone seeking to alter this arrangement must amend the Constitution," Mawarire told Newsroom Afrika.

"Chapter 16, which deals with land ownership, can only be amended through a referendum. Government cannot introduce freehold land ownership without the people's consent."

Mawarire further criticised the land tenure committee, saying it was created without parliamentary backing and now seeks to retrospectively force black farmers to pay for land, despite no reparations ever being paid to black Zimbabweans when their land was originally seized under colonial rule.

"This is what war veterans are fighting against," he said.

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) faction led by Andrease Mathibela has also condemned the land tenure programme as a betrayal of the sacrifices made during the liberation struggle.

"Perhaps most galling is the manner in which our land -  the very land for which thousands died -  is being sold off without consulting the people," said Mathibela.

"This is being done without a referendum, without public debate, and without the consent of the people whose ancestors are buried in that soil. Land is not a commodity; it is a sacred trust. Selling it without consultation is not only undemocratic -  it is treachery."

In May this year, a group of war veterans dragged Mnangagwa to court to challenge the legality of the land tenure reforms. Represented by Tendai Biti of Biti Law Chambers, the veterans argued that Mnangagwa lacked legal authority to unilaterally change land tenure policy without the Zimbabwe Land Commission and enabling legislation.

Mnangagwa signed the US$3.5 billion compensation agreement with former white farmers in 2020, but the government has struggled to raise the funds. Only US$3 million has been disbursed so far.

Mawarire warned that the land tenure reforms could be exploited to extend Mnangagwa's political tenure beyond his constitutionally mandated term, suggesting it could be used as part of a campaign to retain power until 2030, two years past his current limit.

As tensions mount, the reforms are likely to remain a highly contentious issue, further polarising Zimbabwe's already divided political landscape and reawakening deep-seated grievances over land, sovereignty, and justice.