Government puts land barons on notice

Bulawayo Bureau

THE Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Omphile Marupi, has issued a stern warning to individuals who are corruptly parcelling out State land, saying the Government was going to make them account for their actions.

He said new policy guidelines indicate that only the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development has the powers to issue tenure documents to beneficiaries as well as the mandate to offer permits.

Addressing villagers at Selonga Business Centre in Gwanda district, Dr Marupi, who is also the Gwanda South legislator, said there were unscrupulous civil servants who have taken it upon themselves to parcel out land in areas reserved for grazing in return for kickbacks.

The villagers had called for the meeting to deliberate on how best their grazing land, particularly the 57 000-hectare Doddie Burn Farm, could be managed to unlock it’s potential.

“Perhaps I should reiterate that in Zimbabwe there is no one allowed to parcel or sell State land. We have had what we call land barons who have been parcelling out and selling State land, leading to areas like our region losing grazing land. As Government, we are not fighting any ordinary citizen but these land barons who are doing what is illegal,” Dr Marupi said.

With the Doddie Burn Farm being the main agenda of the meeting, the community leadership pleaded with the Government to give them an offer letter that will enable them to unlock it’s potential through investments.

They further agreed that the current lease of the private safari operator occupying the sanctuary within the farm, Mrs Cecilia Bhebhe-Dubiwa, be extended as it is set to expire this year.

The 57 000-hectare farm consists of a sanctuary and grazing land.

The community plans to establish a business centre, maintain the sanctuary, establish fodder production, citrus farming and set up a vocational training centre.

Currently, the farm is under model D, with a three-tier system where the Government, through the Ministry of Lands, the community and the rural district council, own it.

“What we are asking from Government is to have an offer letter so that we can secure funding from investors. Currently, we do not have anything to show that this is our farm as a community. We have done all due processes, including forming a board of trustees which has been registered, providing a map clearly outlining our plan, among other requirements.

“After getting the offer letter, we want to do projects which include fodder, citrus production, a vocational training centre, amongst other things,” said Mr Sundrose Moyo, a community leader.

Local headman Mr Alexander Mahla also weighed in, saying, cognisant of the fact that the sanctuary safari operator’s lease was expiring, as a community, they were in support of the renewal of her lease as she was one of their own.

“We have been working very well with the current leaseholder. She has been very close to us. As a community, who are part of the owners of the farm, we consent to the renewal of her lease. She is one of our own from this area and it is prudent for our resources to benefit us as a community,” said headman Moyo.

“As the President’s mantra says, ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo, we also want to build our own area. We do not want foreign people to come and benefit from the sanctuary while we are there.”