Zimbabwe readies new policy that will entrench property rights

Zimbabwe is finalising a new land policy aimed at strengthening property rights for thousands of farmers resettled on former white-owned commercial farms, marking a significant shift in the country's land reform programme more than two decades after the controversial farm seizures.

Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos said the policy, which is expected to receive Cabinet approval before the end of the year, would provide greater security of tenure while ensuring that the land redistribution programme remains irreversible.

Speaking in an interview in Bulawayo, Haritatos said the Government was putting the finishing touches on the policy, which is expected to transform agricultural land administration and create new opportunities for investment in the farming sector.

"The policy guarantees that the land reform is irreversible and moves us safely into a transformative rural economy," Haritatos said.

"We are already on the final draft."

The proposed reforms come 26 years after former President Robert Mugabe's government embarked on the fast-track land reform programme, which saw thousands of white commercial farmers lose their properties to newly resettled black farmers.

The programme, launched in 2000, was justified by the Government as a necessary measure to correct colonial-era land ownership inequalities that had left much of Zimbabwe's productive agricultural land concentrated in the hands of a white minority.

However, the often chaotic redistribution process disrupted commercial agricultural production, contributing to a sharp decline in farm output and leaving many beneficiaries without secure, bankable land tenure.

For years, resettled farmers have struggled to access affordable financing because their land tenure documents have generally not provided the same collateral security as conventional title deeds.

The new policy is expected to address some of these longstanding challenges by strengthening tenure arrangements and improving the administration of agricultural land.

Haritatos said the Government wanted to establish a more transparent and inclusive land management system that protects legitimate landholders while broadening participation in agricultural development.

He told lawmakers that the policy would consolidate the gains of land reform by "promoting an inclusive, transparent and equitable land-administration system that protects legitimate landowners and expands opportunities for women, youth and vulnerable groups."

The reforms are also expected to support efforts to attract investment into agriculture, improve productivity and encourage farmers to undertake long-term development projects.

However, the precise ownership rights, transfer conditions and collateral arrangements that will be provided under the new policy have yet to be publicly detailed.

The developments come as Zimbabwe continues efforts to compensate former commercial farmers who lost improvements on their properties during the land reform programme.

In 2020, the Government signed a US$3.5 billion compensation agreement with representatives of former white commercial farmers as part of efforts to resolve longstanding property disputes and rebuild relations with international creditors and investors.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the Government had so far disbursed approximately US$800 million through a combination of cash payments and Treasury bills.

The compensation programme forms part of Zimbabwe's broader efforts to address historical disputes arising from land reform and improve confidence in the country's investment environment.

Land ownership and security of tenure remain central issues in Zimbabwe's agricultural sector, where farmers require access to financing for irrigation infrastructure, mechanisation, livestock development and other capital-intensive investments.

The Government believes stronger land rights could help unlock the economic potential of resettled farms while safeguarding the redistribution gains achieved since 2000.

If approved by Cabinet before year-end, the new policy could represent an important milestone in Zimbabwe's efforts to move beyond land redistribution towards a more commercially productive and financially sustainable agricultural sector.

The success of the reforms will, however, depend on how the new tenure arrangements are implemented and whether financial institutions recognise the resulting land rights as acceptable security for agricultural lending.