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Writes Dr Tapiwa Mashakada
The land reform program which started in 2000, sought to address historical injustices and imbalances in land ownership and distribution patterns.
Before 2000, fertile agricultural land was owned by only 4500 white farmers while the black African majority were confined to tribal trust lands where the land was rocky, sandy, and infertile.
Even though the liberation struggle was fought to get our Land back, the Lancaster House Constitution of 1979 prevented compulsory acquisition of land until after 10 years (1980-1990). So after 1990, there was no real justification for the State’s dithering on land acquisition.
Since the land was compulsorily acquired without compensation in 2000, over 35000 indigenous farmers benefitted from the A2 farms allocation program and over 36000 families benefited from the A1 farms allocation programs.
After the acquisition and allocation of the farms to A2 and A1 farmers, the government faced two teething problems. The first challenge had to do with coming up with a bankable land tenure system. The second challenge was to make sure that the allocated land was productive.
99-year leases
To give security of tenure, farmers were given 99-year leases with the hope that they could get access to bank loans. However, banks refused the 99-year leases. Under the 99-year leases, the acquired land belonged to the state.
Land Audit
The government set up a Land Commission to carry out an audit of the land reform program. The Land Commission’s findings were that:
- There was rampant multiple farm ownership
- 70% of the allocated farms were under-utilised and not productive
- Some farms had absentee farmers
- Some farmers were now leasing their farms to former white commercial
In January 2025, the 2nd Republic launched the title deeds program at Precabe farm in Kwekwe. Several A2 farmers were given title deeds for their allocated farms. The title deeds program will be rolled out to cover all A2 and A1 farmers – beneficiaries of the land reform program.
Criticism of the Corrupt Title Deeds Program
The land reform program was never meant to privatize land and give title deeds to cronies. The philosophy behind the land reform program was to ensure equity in land ownership while the land belonged to the State through the 99-year leases. This was very important as it prevented abuse of the land or the resale of the land back to its previous white commercial farm owners.
Now the issuance of title deeds on state land is tantamount to fraud and self-aggrandizement based on patronage and cronyism. The whole process is corrupt and not transparent and it is being used for political capital and buying favor from land beneficiaries. It is a corrupt and partisan exercise that is not in the public interest.
We are told that the title deeds are bankable and transferable yet banks cannot seize the land in case of bankruptcy or payment default. This effectively means that the title deeds are not transferable anyway.
Irreversibility of Land Reform
The land reform is irreversible. It is now enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Beneficiaries of the land reform program can use the 99-year leases to borrow. Banks give loans based on due diligence and the viability of farm projects. So the dolling out of title deeds has nothing to do with access to finance because borrowing doesn’t only depend on title. Title deeds are necessary but not sufficient enough for farmers to access bank loans.
Conclusion
The recently issued title deeds for beneficiaries of land reform are nothing but a big scam meant to benefit a chosen few and are not in the best national interest. It is a national fraud.
(Tapiwa Mashakada, PhD, is the Founder and Executive Director of Maji-Marefu Institute of Economic Governance)
