Putting citizens first: Dr Tagwirei outlines pathway to success

The Government and all its institutions must operate through a single coordinated system built around the needs of citizens if Zimbabwe is to unlock the full economic potential of land tenure reforms, Dr Kudakwashe Tagwirei has said.


Speaking in his capacity as Chair of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee (LTIC) at a high‑level stakeholder breakfast meeting in Harare on Thursday, Dr Tagwirei said a “whole‑of‑economy approach” was essential to realise the full value of the nation’s land.

“No single ministry, institution or sector can deliver this transformation alone. It demands a whole‑of‑economy approach,” he said, outlining practical commitments for each stakeholder group.

He said Government ministries should build one coordinated system centred on the citizen, supported by published service standards, continued digitisation and inter‑agency data integration. Banks and insurers, he said, must accept title deeds as collateral and design financial products suited to agricultural realities, including seasonal lending, asset finance and insurance.

Dr Tagwirei urged farmers to run their farms as businesses — investing, insuring, producing and repaying — noting that “this generation’s credit record prices the next.” He said private sector players and investors should bring capital, technology and market access into titled value chains, from inputs to processing and export.

He also called on land professionals — valuers, surveyors and conveyancers — to strengthen capacity, speed and integrity across the entire process, from survey to registration. Development partners, he said, should support knowledge transfer, technical assistance and international experience in titling, land markets and rural finance.

Dr Tagwirei stressed that for a title deed to have value, the system behind it must earn trust. He warned that fragmented bureaucracy would undermine President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive that the issuance of deeds be simple, accessible, transparent, predictable, digitised and accountable.

“The landholder must experience one coordinated journey, from survey and valuation through to agreement, payment and registration of the deed itself. That is what the One‑Stop Centre exists to deliver,” he said.

He added that the benefits of tenure reform must reach every category of landholder. Women, he said, should hold title in their own right and have equal access to financing, inputs and markets, supported by the Women’s Development Fund. Young people should also be fully accommodated to drive a modern, technology‑driven and profitable agricultural sector. Communities, he said, must find strength in secure tenure, with inheritance protected under law.

Dr Tagwirei said the ultimate objective was to guarantee secure tenure and bankable land for a productive Zimbabwe. “These are not slogans; they are a pathway. Secure tenure gives us the foundation. Bankability provides access to capital. Productivity creates economic value, and economic value drives national development.”

He said President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 clearly sets out the goal: “A prosperous Zimbabwe where all families possess land, cultivate it, and share in its benefits.” Dr Tagwirei added: “He has granted us access to the land. It is our responsibility to transform it into tangible results.”

This discussion contributes to broader national debates around land tenure reform and agricultural modernisation.