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Simiso Mlevu in Victoria Falls
Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora yesterday condemned corrupt politicians who illegally distribute land to desperate home seekers during election campaign periods. He made the remarks at the ongoing zanu-pf National People’s Conference while presenting his ministry’s contribution on the strides made towards the successful implementation of Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

“There is an issue of illegal settlers. This is a problem created by us as leaders. We go to the people, especially towards elections and give them land so that they vote for us.

“Do not do that because we are going to force them out,” Dr Mombeshora said, adding that people should accustom themselves to getting land through proper channels.

He said some officials were also selling State land and misrepresenting to people that the minister and governors were demanding money.

“There are some ministry officials, district administrators and politicians who are selling land. Sometimes they lie that Mombeshora and governors want to be paid. That’s is not true. Please report such individuals.”

Minister Mombeshora said the land reform programme was now in the final stages and his office was seized with correcting the things that had been done wrongly.

“There are farms which were allocated to people for resettlement by the Ministry of Local Government and National Housing and Public Works before Government had regularised the acquisition.

“We need to regularise acquisition of those farms.”

He said Government was looking into the issue of farm sizes and that those who owned pieces of land that were above maximum sizes and were not being fully utilised would have them re-sized.

Dr Mombeshora said Government has acquired more than 14,5 million hectares of land since land reform was launched. He advised farm owners that Government would soon start collecting land rentals, with A1 farmers expected to pay $15 per annum and A2 farmers $5 per hectare.