Biti slams title deed plan, calls it a reversal of land reform

Former Finance Minister and legal expert Tendai Biti has criticized the government's plan to issue title deeds to farm owners, calling it a legal and policy blunder that undermines Zimbabwe's land reform programme.

The government has defended the initiative, arguing that it aims to boost economic growth, enhance food security, and ensure social stability. Agriculture, Lands, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development ministry permanent secretary Obert Jiri described the title deed programme as a major step toward securing land ownership for farmers.

In a statement published this week, Jiri explained that the programme seeks to provide farmers with greater security of tenure, access to financing, and opportunities for land market transactions. He also noted that it would allow landowners to subdivide their farms for family inheritance or transfer ownership to qualifying Zimbabweans.

However, Biti, who is also a prominent opposition figure and former vice president of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), dismissed the plan as legally flawed and politically regressive. He argued that the issuance of title deeds contradicts existing laws and constitutional provisions.

"All title deeds on agricultural land were cancelled when the government gazetted and acquired the land. Mnangagwa cannot give away title deeds on agricultural land because those title deeds do not exist," Biti said during an online discussion over the weekend.

He accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of reversing the gains of the land reform programme, warning that the move could lead to the concentration of land ownership in the hands of powerful cartels.

"In 10 years' time, cartels will be owning this land. In 50 years' time, we are back to square zero, with another land fight, this time against black cartels. The same cartels you see in fuel and service stations will now be owning the land," Biti said.

Biti further cited section 295 subsection 5 of the Constitution, which stipulates that land cannot be alienated without an Act of Parliament. He argued that Parliament had not been consulted and that the move bypassed the constitutionally mandated Land Commission.

He also criticized the provision restricting land transfers to indigenous black Zimbabweans, pointing out that section 298 of the Constitution guarantees land ownership rights to all citizens regardless of race.

Meanwhile, Jiri emphasized that the government had made arrangements with financial institutions to facilitate mortgage financing for agricultural land. "Landowners will receive title deeds upon full payment or mortgage with selected banks, which will be making separate announcements," he said.

Jiri added that the title deeds would create a new land market, attract investment, and provide an exit strategy for farmers opting out of agriculture.

The plan, however, has sparked a heated debate, with critics like Biti warning that it could undermine the legal framework of the land reform programme and lead to new inequalities in land ownership. As the government moves forward with the initiative, its legality and broader implications are likely to remain contentious issues.