Government “entangled” in New Land Audit
Harare | Following the official presentation and handover of the Land Information Management System (LIMS) Audited Farms Database to President Emmerson Mnangagwa by Zimbabwe Land Commision (ZLC) chairperson commissioner Tendai Bare at State House on Wednesday, ZiMetro News has learned that the government is reportedly in a Catch 22 situation regarding how to proceed with creating a sound land utilisation policy.
According to sources, the government feels helpless because a portion of the recent audit revealed wealthy Zanu PF members and influential politicians who had great ties to individuals in positions of authority.
“While I commend the government for starting the Land Audit, it is a commendable endeavour because most multiple farm owners are already a member of the system, and some have leased their properties without permission from the government.
According to our insider, “it’s a difficult situation on how to reprimand these political elites, some of whom pump money into the ruling party.”
The ten districts and ten provinces of the nation were included in the audit.
According to reports, the auditing process uncovered egregious errors such as illegal land allocations, which contributed to the nation’s low agricultural productivity.
In an effort to address land inequalities brought about by white colonialism that dated back over a century, Zimbabwe launched a contentious land reform initiative at the beginning of the new century.
The administration of then-President Robert Mugabe used a mix of coercion and other means to drive away over 4,500 white settler farmers from large areas of fertile land.
According to reports, his wife Grace Mugabe controlled over fifteen farms.
However, she neglected to pay the payments owed to farm labourers, which resulted in the auctioning off of certain farm equipment during the Second Republic.
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