Land under 99-year lease now bankable, transferrable, says govt

The government says all land held by beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme under 99-year leases, offer letters and permits, will now be held under a bankable, registrable and transferrable more secure document of tenure.

The document is to be issued soon by the Government of Zimbabwe to beneficiaries, Minister of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere has disclosed.

Speaking during post cabinet briefing, Muswere said as such, beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme will now have enhanced security of tenure to the land they legitimately hold.

He said this new policy will invariably be informed by the following guidelines:

a. Priority will be given to our Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, youths and women;
b. Security of tenure to all agricultural land regularized under this programme, will at all time only be transferrable among indigenous Zimbabweans; and

c. The land targeted for the new land tenure system will exclude communal land that is under the jurisdiction of traditional Chiefs.

He said the move is in line with Section 292 of the Constitution read together with Sections 289, 293 and 294 that obligates the State to give security of tenure to every person and to alienate for value agricultural land among other requirements.

Zwnews