Govt to take farms from unproductive land reform beneficiaries under the Farm Rationalisation Programme

Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Douglas Mombeshora has revealed that the government will repossess land from unproductive land reform beneficiaries in order to redistribute it to other more productive people.  So far, his ministry has already notified 38 farmers that it will soon revoke offer letters giving them title to the land. Large farms will also be reduced in size. Said Mombeshora,

What we are doing now is identifying farms and plots where land is not being utilised at all or not being used to its potential with a view to distributing it to others.

In terms of the law, we have the option of sending letters to the offer letter holder’s given home address, their farms or publishing a notice in a national newspaper, advising them of our intention. But what we are doing across the country right now is send out teams, led by provincial lands officers, to inspect farms in order to ascertain whether they are being utilised or not.

In cases where the farm is very large and is being underutilised, we have the option of downsizing; that is taking back part of the farm with a view of giving it to others.

In cases where the land is not being utilised at all, we have the option of withdrawing the offer letter. This is all part of the broader Farm Rationalisation Programme, which Government is implementing as part of the finalisation of the Land Reform Programme.

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