By Rudo Saungweme

The Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement has gazetted the maximum number of hectares an individual can own in any ecological region. This was revealed today through the Ministry’s twitter handle, the Harare Post can report.

Informing on the development the Ministry posted that, “It is hereby notified that the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement has in terms of section 21 of the Land Commission Act (Chapter 20:21) made the following regulations:

“Subject to sections 5 and 6, no person shall own a farm in Natural Region One if the size of the farm exceeds 250 hectares or Natural Region Two if the size of the farm exceeds 500 hectares,

“Natural Region three if the size of the farm exceeds 700 hectares or Natural Region Four if the size of the farm exceeds 1 000 hectares or Natural Region Five if the size of the farm exceeds 2 000 hectares,” tweeted the ministry,” read part of the post.

The announcement by the Ministry clearly answers questions and or arguments by some farm owners whose farms are scheduled for the downsizing exercise. Of note being self-exiled former Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Saviour Kasukuwere, self-exiled former Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Professor Jonathan Moyo and self-exiled former Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Patrick Zhuwao have been criticising Government for notifying them of the new land requirement, despite the fact that their farms lay on vast hectares of land that is underutilised.

Contrary to the trio’s claims of an attack on political lines, this law applies to all farms that exceed the stipulated hectares in the specific regions, a situation that will benefit a lot other land seekers that are still in the waiting list at different provinces.  

Citizens have welcomed this development saying Zimbabwe will soon regain its bread basket status as land that has been laying idle will now be given to those who are able to make use of it.