Govt Starts Issuing Title Deeds for 2030 Mnangagwa Presidency – Eduzim News

By Farai D Hove | ZimEye | Harare, Zimbabwe — Leaked minutes from a recent Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting have revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s initiative to issue title deeds to beneficiaries of the land reform programme may have a deeper political agenda. While publicly presented as an economic empowerment programme, the leaked documents suggest that the move could be aimed at consolidating political power and advancing the ruling party’s interests ahead of the 2025 elections.

The state media recently reported that 2,500 title deeds will be issued by March 2025 as part of the government’s efforts to streamline land ownership and improve access to capital. However, the leaked minutes raise questions about the motivations behind this initiative, as they outline a strategy that intertwines economic reforms with political objectives.

Leaked Details

Key points from the leaked PCC minutes include:
1. Issuance of Title Deeds Nationwide: The minutes highlight plans for President Mnangagwa to extend the issuance of title deeds to both agricultural and urban land, with landowners required to pay between 2 and 8 cents per square meter. The payments would be spread over 20 years at an interest rate of 7.5%, raising concerns over the financial burden this could place on beneficiaries.
2. Focus on Underperforming Districts: Makonde district was flagged in the minutes for having the lowest registration figures in the province, with only 69,000 names submitted on cell registers, compared to over 100,000 in other districts. This has led to directives to improve registration efforts in areas deemed underperforming.
3. Party Discipline and Loyalty: The minutes emphasize the need for ZANU-PF members to remain disciplined and avoid engaging in anti-leadership discourse, particularly on social media, signaling a crackdown on internal dissent.
4. Presidential Term Extension: Perhaps the most controversial point in the minutes is the resolution to push for the extension of Mnangagwa’s presidential term to 2030. The document indicates that legal processes are being prepared to facilitate this extension, which would effectively delay leadership change for another five years.

Concerns Over Political Motives

The issuance of title deeds has been framed as a measure to secure property rights and enable beneficiaries to access financing for agricultural activities. However, the timing and structure of the programme have raised suspicions that it is designed to secure political loyalty by tying landowners to the government through long-term financial obligations.

The term extension resolution adds further weight to these concerns, with critics questioning whether the programme is being used to manipulate beneficiaries into supporting Mnangagwa’s continued leadership.

Implications for Zimbabwe

While the issuance of title deeds could address longstanding issues in land tenure and improve economic opportunities, the revelations in the leaked minutes suggest that the initiative may be serving dual purposes: addressing economic challenges while simultaneously advancing the political goals of the ruling party.

The government has not yet responded to the leaked minutes, but the revelations are likely to spark debate over the role of land reform in Zimbabwe’s political landscape. As the country approaches the 2025 elections, the intersection of land ownership and political power is once again under scrutiny, with significant implications for the nation’s future.-ZimEye

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