The draft
policy document of the Urban State Land Management Policy — compiled by the
Ministry of Local Government and Public Works — represents a decisive shift in
managing growing frustration over land barons, poor regulation and the
proliferation of informal settlements lacking basic services.
The new
framework builds on findings from the Justice Uchena Commission on the Sale of
Urban State Land, which exposed deep-seated weaknesses in land administration.
The commission
revealed that new settlements often lacked essential infrastructure such as
roads, water and sewerage, as well as approved engineering designs, while
public land is allocated for private use, undermining planned urban growth.
While past
approaches sought to address historical imbalances in land access, they
inadvertently enabled chaotic urban sprawl, land speculation and illegal
allocations.
Speculative
tendencies and land barons have also distorted the country’s land management
system. It is believed that robust Government action will ensure balanced and
sustainable urban development.
Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Dr John Basera
emphasised the importance of collaboration in the development of the new
policy.
“The Urban
State Land Management Policy is a testament to the power of collaboration,
bringing together diverse stakeholders to shape a more effective and
sustainable approach to urban land management,” he said.
“Aligned with
Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, this policy represents a significant step towards
realising the country’s development goals.”
The policy is
premised on achieving sustainable, efficient and equitable management of urban
land.
Its objectives
include promoting public health and safety through planned development,
eliminating fraudulent land deals and improving institutional coordination.
At its core are
six strategic pillars — governance and decentralisation; innovation and
technology; improved procedures and processes; stronger regulatory frameworks;
infrastructure development; and planning and compliance.
The policy also
provides for the establishment of urban State land management office structures
at sub-national levels, with inter-ministerial task forces and technical
committees to support coordinated implementation. To protect residents affected
by development-induced displacement, a fair and transparent compensation
framework will be enforced.
The Government
has pledged to crowd in private sector participation to deliver resilient and
sustainable urban infrastructure.
Ultimately, the
policy seeks to end decades of ad hoc urbanisation and restore public
confidence by ensuring land is allocated fairly, cities grow sustainably and
local authorities deliver transparent services critical to national progress
and Vision 2030 goals.
The Harare City
Council estimates that there are over 100 000 irregular houses in and around
the capital.
The local
authority’s principal housing officer, Mr Edgar Dzehonye, recently told the
Justice Maphios Cheda Commission of Inquiry into the governance of Harare that
councillors were to blame for the mushrooming of irregular settlements.
“Land barons
are now categorised by their wards as they use complicit councillors as their
conduits to get council protection from eviction. The administrators in council
have been stripped of their functions to allocate land,” he said. Sunday Mail
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