The government has warned traditional leaders—chiefs, headmen, and village heads (MaSabhuku)—against the sale of communal land, as doing so is a criminal offence.
Obert Jiri, the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, called on traditional leaders to immediately stop any unauthorised land transactions, but instead, work closely with local rural district councils. Said Jiri:
<blockquote>
We have seen the rise of sabhuku deals, which we certainly say no to.
</blockquote>
Jiri said that land management authority rests solely with the President, who oversees proper allocation.
He urged Zimbabweans seeking land to follow the correct procedures, warning that bypassing them only opens opportunities for exploitation by land barons.
The government is holding capacity-building workshops to educate traditional leaders on their roles, responsibilities, and the legal frameworks for managing communal land. Said Jiri:
<blockquote>
There’s no need for anyone to obtain an offer letter from a window somewhere. An offer letter or a title deed must be processed in ministry offices. Engage the authorities that offer land, not anyone else.
</blockquote>
“Sabhuku land deals” refer to the illegal practice where traditional leaders, such as village heads, sell or allocate communal or state land to individuals for money or other benefits. This practice is especially prevalent in areas near towns and cities.
More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/sabhuku-land-deals-banned/">The Herald</a>

Pindula News

The government told traditional leaders not to sell communal land because it's illegal. They must work with councils instead. The President controls land allocation. Zimbabweans should follow procedures to get land to avoid exploitation. The government is educating leaders on their roles. "Sabhuku land deals" are when leaders sell state land illegally. This happens a lot near towns. Follow the correct process to get land, don't buy it from unauthorized people.

Government Orders Traditional Leaders To Stop Sabhuku Land Deals

Obert Jiri, the Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, has said the government had to terminate the presidential goat scheme after Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu delivered only 6,978 goats out of the promised 86,000, for which payment had already been made.
During his appearance before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Accounts on Monday, Jiri explained that the programme stalled due to the failure to deliver the remaining goats. He said:
<blockquote>
The goats that were delivered to date, 6,978. The payment that was made was for the delivery of 86,000 goats.
That was the potential that could have been delivered. So out of 86,000, only 6,978 were delivered.
So, of course, the major bone of contention was this non-delivery, but before that, it was the price for goods, which we tried to negotiate within the confines of the contract to say that goods must go to this, and I think we had agreed to a decent price.
But even when we had agreed, the delivery could not happen.
</blockquote>
Chimombe and Mpofu have been languishing in remand prison since June this year facing fraud charges in connection with the goats contract.
Prosecutors say Chimombe and Mpofu, who are facing fraud charges, forged a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) tax clearance certificate, and a National Social Security Authority (NSSA) compliance certificate in the name of Blackdeck Private Limited.
Blackdeck is the company that was awarded the tender by the Ministry of Lands to supply goats under the presidential goat pass-on scheme.
The State is alleging that Blackdeck misrepresented that it was in full compliance with ZIMRA and NSSA requirements, yet investigations indicated the QR code and the reference on NSSA compliance were issued to a totally different company.
It is being further alleged that Blackdeck was deregistered from the NSSA system in January 2016.
Blackdeck was not issued with a ZIMRA tax clearance for 2021 and the QR code on the forged tax clearance belonged to a different company.
Prosecutors further alleged that in 2021, the government introduced the presidential goat pass-on scheme to alleviate poverty among the less privileged households across the country. Said Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje:
<blockquote>
On September 3, 2021, the Ministry of Lands flighted a tender for the supply and delivery of goats for the presidential goat pass-on scheme with a closing date of September 17, 2021.
On November 16, 2021, the Ministry of Lands entered into a contract agreement with Blackdeck Livestock and Poultry Farming for the supply and delivery of 632,001 goats for the presidential goat pass-on scheme valued at US$87,757,168.
The ministry, believing that what the accused persons had presented to them was true, went on and transferred ZWL$901,294,200 and ZWL$698,705,800 on 21 April 2022 and 29 June 2022 respectively summing up to ZWL$1.6 billion which was equivalent to US$7,712,197.10 into Blackdeck Private Limited’s bank account number towards the purchasing of the said goats.
</blockquote>
It is further alleged that Mpofu and Chimombe delayed the supply of the goats and they only managed to deliver a total of 4,208 goats valued at US$331,445.25 from the US$7,712,197.10 paid by the ministry and went on to convert the US$7,380,751.85 for their personal use.
Critics argue that Chimombe and Mpofu are being punished for revealing alleged corruption involving high-ranking State officials in the procurement of electoral materials for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) ahead of the August 2023 general elections.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The government's goat scheme was stopped because two men, Chimombe and Mpofu, did not deliver enough goats that were paid for. They are accused of fraud and lying about paperwork. The government gave them money to buy goats but they only bought a few and kept the rest. Some people think they are being punished for exposing corruption in the government. The men are now in trouble with the law for not delivering what they promised, causing problems for the goat scheme meant to help poor households.

Top Civil Servant Blames Chimombe, Mpofu For Collapse Of Presidential Goat Scheme

The Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, stated that the Government will not hastily declare the El Nino-induced drought a state of disaster.
According to him, the country remains food self-sufficient. During a Senate session on March 14, he outlined mitigation measures, including expanding winter wheat cultivation, utilizing water bodies, drilling boreholes, and providing food relief to vulnerable individuals.
Midlands Senator, Daniel MacKenzie Ncube (ZANU PF), inquired about the Government’s measures to safeguard citizens from potential exploitation during this challenging situation. In response, Ziyambi said (<a href="https://www.zimlive.com/mnangagwa-under-pressure-to-declare-drought-after-national-yield-decimated/">via the Chronicle)</a>:
<blockquote>
As a country, there is no need to panic or to be worried and declare a state of disaster because we have several measures to mitigate the effects.
I am pleased to inform the House that we have several facilities that will help farmers with centre pivots to increase wheat hectarage. Areas where the centre pivot will be placed have already been identified.
We cannot be beggars when we have several water bodies. There is no need to panic, we will be using multifaceted ways to respond to the situation.
As of now, we are still food self-sufficient. We had a good harvest last season, we are providing food aid to those pockets that are insecure.
</blockquote>
Ziyambi said the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) was holding more than 245 000 tonnes of maize from bumper harvests recorded in past years, meaning some households still had grain stocks. He said:
<blockquote>
We are now assessing the projected harvests. What Cabinet has done is to say we have several water bodies, the immediate solution is to put a bigger area under wheat to substitute maize or barter trade.
So at the moment, we are not panicking because we know the measures we have put in place will help and will ensure that even those with an appetite to fleece people, it will not help, we are also drilling boreholes.
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development permanent secretary, Obert Jiri, said dry land maize including what was planted under the Pfumvunza scheme and traditional grains are now a complete write-off owing to drought.
Jiri, addressing the Senate thematic committee on peace and security, reported that Zimbabwe anticipates a harvest of 700,000 to 800,000 metric tonnes from all cereals planted during the 2023/24 summer cropping season due to drought. This falls short of the annual national requirement of 1.2 million metric tonnes.
He said The country’s primary reliance is on irrigated crops, which constitute a modest 3 per cent of the total planted crop. Said Jiri:
<blockquote>
The irritated crop is fair to good; we can get five tonnes per hectare. Pfumvunza crop was fairly good but now it’s not anymore. For traditional grains, we are getting a report of a write-off in some areas.
The dry land crop is now a write-off. This is what we are assessing and last time, 60 per cent was stressed. Now we don’t have any.
The only crop that we are basing our hope on is the irrigated crop. We may salvage a few tonnage from traditional grains, a few from Pfumvunza. But we are in a drought situation.
</blockquote>
Jiri told lawmakers that the country expects not more than 800,000 metric tonnes from irrigation schemes and individual farmers who irrigated their grain crops and traditional grains.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe Remains Food Self-Sufficient Despite Drought - Ziyambi

The Government has rejected claims by the Zimbabwe Seed Association (ZSA) that it owes seed houses a total of US$61 778 000 for seed supplied to various programmes for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
ZSA on 18 November 2023 issued a statement in which it cited 11 association members, ARDA, Easiseeds, Farmbiz Genetics, Intaba Trading, Klein Karoo Seed Marketing, Prime Seeds/Seed Co vegetables, Quton, Reapers, Seed Co, Tocek, Zimbabwe Technology Solutions, as being owed millions by the Government for seed that they supplied under the Presidential Inputs Programme (PIP).
ZSA claimed that on average, seed houses were owed payments below 50 per cent of the seed supplied in the 2022/23 season, and nearly all the seed supplied this season, covering field, horticultural and fodder crops.
However, in an interview with <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/govt-reads-riot-act-to-seed-houses/">The Manica Post</a> on Thursday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s Permanent Secretary, Obert Jiri said the Government does not contract all the 11 companies listed by ZSA.
Jiri stated that ZSA should separate what seed houses owed each other and what is owed to the company contracted by the Government. He said:
<blockquote>
The Government does not contract all the 11 companies (listed). Ask them who has a contract for seed who has not been paid. They should indicate which companies and avoid blanket statements.
I have read that statement, and it is unfortunate because it blankets everything as if the Government is contracting all the 11 seed houses when we are not.
It needs to be contextualised — they need to state how much each company is owed; and which companies are owed by the company (contracted by the Government).
We need to avoid where they trade between themselves and ascribe that to the Government.
The correct position is that the Government does not contract 11 companies, so that statement is misleading.
If you go back to the originators of that statement, they should be able to segregate to you, first, which company is contracted by the Government, second, segregate what they trade between themselves and then ascribe what exactly is owed to the company contracted by the Government.
That should give you a clearer picture. As it is that blanket statement is misleading.
</blockquote>
The Government is reported to be the biggest buyer of seed, which it distributes to hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers across the country under programmes such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa.
But with no payment from their biggest customer, seed companies are defaulting on bank loans, laying off staff, and planning to scale back on production.
As a result, experienced growers are refusing to sign new contracts with seed companies because they have not been paid for 2023 deliveries.
Seed producers are unable to secure the foreign currency they need for imports such as hybrid seed of sunflower and sorghums and parental seed, which they say helps localised certified seed production.
ZSA said that a request to the government for US$15.5 million from six seed producers “so far got no response”.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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