News / National
Town Council cracks down on land hoarding
08 Jun 2025 at 13:19hrs | Views
Rusape Town Council has passed a bold resolution aimed at curbing land hoarding by requiring both residential and commercial landowners to develop their stands within 12 months or risk repossession.
The resolution was adopted during a full council meeting held last Friday and is set to take effect on October 25, 2025. It targets individuals and businesses who have been holding on to undeveloped stands, some for over a decade, without making any effort to build or improve the properties.
Council officials said the decision is part of broader efforts to accelerate urban development, improve land management, and boost local revenue.
"Failure to develop land not only affects our spatial planning and infrastructure rollout but also deprives council of much-needed revenue," a council official said.
Under the new policy, any landowner who fails to show meaningful progress on their stand within 12 months of the resolution taking effect will face repossession by the local authority.
The move has been welcomed by residents' groups, including the Rusape Concerned Residents Trust (RCRT). Trust chairperson Godfrey Mufuranhewe told Chipinge Times that the policy is long overdue.
"We wholeheartedly welcome this move. It is high time we addressed the issue of land banking that has been plaguing our town for years," said Mufuranhewe. "Some individuals were allocated stands 15 to 20 years ago, yet no development has taken place. This not only hinders growth but also results in significant revenue losses for the council."
He added that the new policy would likely spur development, open up opportunities for more active land users, and encourage a culture of responsible land ownership.
Urban land banking - the practice of holding onto undeveloped property in anticipation of rising land values - has been a major obstacle to growth in many Zimbabwean towns and cities. Rusape's new stance follows similar moves by other local authorities trying to unlock the economic potential of idle land.
The council is expected to publish detailed implementation guidelines before the October rollout.
The resolution was adopted during a full council meeting held last Friday and is set to take effect on October 25, 2025. It targets individuals and businesses who have been holding on to undeveloped stands, some for over a decade, without making any effort to build or improve the properties.
Council officials said the decision is part of broader efforts to accelerate urban development, improve land management, and boost local revenue.
"Failure to develop land not only affects our spatial planning and infrastructure rollout but also deprives council of much-needed revenue," a council official said.
Under the new policy, any landowner who fails to show meaningful progress on their stand within 12 months of the resolution taking effect will face repossession by the local authority.
The move has been welcomed by residents' groups, including the Rusape Concerned Residents Trust (RCRT). Trust chairperson Godfrey Mufuranhewe told Chipinge Times that the policy is long overdue.
"We wholeheartedly welcome this move. It is high time we addressed the issue of land banking that has been plaguing our town for years," said Mufuranhewe. "Some individuals were allocated stands 15 to 20 years ago, yet no development has taken place. This not only hinders growth but also results in significant revenue losses for the council."
He added that the new policy would likely spur development, open up opportunities for more active land users, and encourage a culture of responsible land ownership.
Urban land banking - the practice of holding onto undeveloped property in anticipation of rising land values - has been a major obstacle to growth in many Zimbabwean towns and cities. Rusape's new stance follows similar moves by other local authorities trying to unlock the economic potential of idle land.
The council is expected to publish detailed implementation guidelines before the October rollout.
Source - Mirror
