By Staff Writer
FOREIGNERS will not be allowed to own or purchase land under Zimbabwe’s new laws aimed at transferring land acquired under the Land Reform Exercise.
This follows the recent approval by the Cabinet to amend laws in a bid to allow the legal transfer of land to third parties through purchases.
However, Justice Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi said foreigners will not be allowed to own land under the new regulations.
“The amendments will further prohibit foreigners from acquiring agricultural land through sales and transfers. Like foreigners for instance, you would not want a foreigner to come and buy land. If that is allowed, it means more foreigners will buy our agricultural land. Allowing foreigners to purchase agricultural land would undermine our control over the sector.
“We must ensure that land remains in the hands of indigenous Zimbabweans. So, we would want a scenario where that is controlled so that the beneficiaries remain largely indigenous,” he said.
He said the laws currently allow for anything to be done: to have leasehold, to transfer and give title deeds, all this is supported by our Constitution and the current laws that are in place.
“We just need to tighten it so that there is mechanism where the Minister of Lands issues a certificate authorizing the transfer of land to a specific individual.
“This means that we will not have a situation where two people just transfer land amongst themselves just like that. That is the provision that we need,” he added.
