Staff Reporter
In a landmark move to address decades-long chaos in urban land administration, the Government of Zimbabwe has approved the Urban State Land Management Policy, setting the stage for a more structured, transparent, and accountable approach to managing urban land.
The announcement was made by Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, during Tuesday’s Post-Cabinet Media Briefing. He outlined how the policy is expected to tackle challenges such as illegal settlements, land baronism, and speculative land hoarding that have plagued Zimbabwe’s urban development landscape for years.
“The policy addresses rapid urbanisation issues, such as dysfunctional settlements, speculative activities, and land baronism, while protecting citizens from fraudulent land deals. It clarifies stakeholder roles, provides operational guidelines, and promotes efficient and effective urban state land management,” said Dr Muswere.
Built around six key pillars, Governance and Decentralisation, Innovation and Technology, Procedures and Processes, Regulatory Framework and Enforcement, Infrastructure Development, and Planning and Compliance — the policy framework aims to foster orderly growth and improve the quality of life in urban areas.
Dr Muswere noted that these pillars are designed to promote transparency, accountability, and proper planning, while enhancing enforcement to prevent unlawful land allocations and abuse of authority.
“The policy also seeks to empower local authorities and devolved government structures to play a more active role in land management, under a harmonised governance framework. This development is being hailed as a crucial step towards sustainable urbanisation and improved service delivery,” he said.
In addition to the land policy, Cabinet also announced a major health cooperation agreement between Zimbabwe and China. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to formalise collaboration between Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital of China.
Dr Muswere said the partnership will boost Zimbabwe’s capacity in respiratory and critical care medicine.
“The objective is to strengthen the construction of respiratory and critical care medicine facilities in Zimbabwe and improve local capacity on prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19, as well as airway management and respiratory support for critical patients,” he said.
On the agriculture front, Cabinet confirmed that the 2024 cotton marketing season will begin on June 1, with expanded buying points being set up countrywide. The initiative is part of efforts to decentralise cotton marketing and ensure more inclusive participation by smallholder farmers.
Additionally, Cabinet reviewed the outcomes of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent state visits to Russia and Belarus, where discussions centred on economic cooperation and Zimbabwe’s aspiration to join the BRICS bloc and the New Development Bank. These diplomatic engagements signal Harare’s intent to deepen global partnerships and diversify sources of economic support.
Collectively, the Cabinet announcements reflect a multi-sectoral approach to governance — one that aims to improve urban living standards, healthcare delivery, economic inclusion, and international engagement.
