Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri (Retired)

Tendayi Kasamba, Chronicle Reporter
THE Government has decentralised operations of the Zimbabwe Land Commission (ZLC) as it seeks to address land disputes and ensure that land is fully utilised nationwide.

ZLC has set up offices in all the country’s provinces to improve efficiency in land audits and promote accountability in the agricultural sector.

In the past, the commission’s offices were in Harare, which slowed down undertaking of land disputes in the country.

The commission has, however, spread its operations to Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Midlands and Mashonaland East provinces where farmers can now report their grievances and get assistance on different land disputes.

In a statement, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri (Rtd), said the ministry is pursuing a directive by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to ignite the country’s economic revival and growth agenda through agriculture.

“During his inauguration speech in November 2017, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde ED Mnangagwa, charged the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement to be the engine of our economic recovery and subsequent growth,” read the statement.

“Pursuant to that directive, my ministry would like to streamline its processes with regards to the handling of complaints and disputes relating to our resettlement areas. This task shall be the responsibility of the Zimbabwe land commission.”

The minister said his ministry was willing to discharge its rightful duties and the decentralisation of ZLC will ensure economic revival and growth.

“Such an arrangement is not only in line with our constitution, but also leaves the ministry to concentrate on production and productivity issues thereby directly addressing the economic revival and growth agenda,” read the statement.

“The Zimbabwe Land Commission shall, therefore, assume its constitutional mandate in full and discharge its duties and responsibilities accordingly. One area of immediate attention for the commission shall be to attend to and resolve land related complaints and disputes.”

The ZLC was formed to ensure accountability, fairness and transparency in the administration of agricultural land and to conduct periodic land audits, investigate and determine disputes on agricultural land.

@tenkasamba