200 000 Zimbabweans waiting for land but highly unlikely 10% will get it

THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I thank the Hon. Member for the recommendation and questions.  The Zimbabwe Lands Commission is very constrained in terms of the resources that are available to carry out the work that it is mandated to do.  In addition to handling conflicts – Mr. Speaker Sir, just as a way of showing how overwhelmed the Zimbabwe Lands Commission is operating within the current resource constraints.  They have 8 000 conflict cases, between and among farmers, requiring resolutions.  Their capacity is 800 a year.

They have conducted audits on about 22 000 units and we need to get to 400 000 units.  They are in the process of compiling the second audit which will bring them to about 60 000 units.  So, at that rate, it will take us three to five years, with the current resources for them to complete the audit, which is why we have complemented that aspect with a fast track audit method, where we require A1 and A2 farmers to submit productivity returns and we think with these two complementing each other in the current resource envelope, we will be able to do much more.

Regarding Agribank, I am pleased to announce to the House that the Agricultural Finance Corporation has now been reconstituted. A board has been appointed and His Excellency the President will be launching the bank on the 30th April, this month. So this should avail farmers opportunities as the AFC will operate four subsidiaries. Agribank, as we know it, will now be called AFC Commercial Bank. There will also be AFC Land Bank, AFC Insurance and AFC Leasing Company.

HON. NDEBELE: I rise on a point of recommendation Hon. Speaker – [Laughter.] – If you may indulge me Mr. Speaker.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Can I ask you to whisper to the Hon. Minister please.

HON. NDEBELE: Thank Hon. Speaker but I think there is an issue of record, a lasting record.

THE HON. SPEAKER: I can see that you are really a student of law in the wholesome sense. What is your recommendation briefly?

HON. NDEBELE: I appreciate that the Hon. Minister is fairly new in office but I would like to urge him, before he embarks on the next land redistribution process, to really come up with a deliberate and conscious policy that will ensure that our people, given their diverse identities also benefit from agricultural land in their locality.

HON. DR. MASUKA: Mr. Speaker, I thank Hon. Ndebele for that recommendation in question. The land policy guidelines as issued by the Ministry to the provincial and district land committees are very clear that identification of land happens at the local level and that the district lands committee recommends those applicants that they have received at district level I opine that these are the locals within that. That is the process and I think that it is not discriminatory at that stage.

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