Story by Owen Mandovha
HARARE – IN a major policy shift aimed at resolving long-standing land administration challenges, Government has approved the Urban State Land Management Policy, a development expected to bring order and transparency to the allocation and management of urban state land.
This was announced by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, during this Tuesday’s Post-Cabinet Media Briefing.
“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.The Policy is built on six interconnected pillars namely: Governance and Decentralisation, Innovation and Technology, Procedures and Processes, Regulatory Framework and Enforcement, Infrastructure Development, and Planning and Compliance.These pillars promote transparency, accountability, efficiency, and compliance, and aim to foster orderly urban development, protect public interests, and enhance the quality of life for urban residents,” he said.
The policy seeks to curb illegal land sales, streamline allocation processes, and improve urban planning through a coordinated and transparent governance framework.
Cabinet also announced that Matabeleland South Province will host the 2026 Independence Day Celebrations, in line with the Government’s new rotational hosting model based on the National Infrastructure Deficit Index.
“Cabinet approved criteria to determine future hosts for Independence Day Celebrations and Children’s Party events, based on the national Infrastructure Deficit Index. This prioritises provinces with the greatest infrastructure development needs among those that have not yet hosted the Uhuru celebrations. The goal is to use these events to drive infrastructure growth in targeted areas. In accordance with the approved criteria, the Independence Day Celebrations and Children’s Party are scheduled to be held in Matabeleland South Province in 2026 and in Masvingo Province in 2027,” Dr Muswere said.
In another key announcement, Dr Muswere revealed a strategic health partnership between Zimbabwe and China to upgrade Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, the country’s largest referral hospital.
“China-Zimbabwe Partnership, the MOU will establish a cooperative relationship between the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and the Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital of the People’s Republic of China in the field of respiratory and critical care medicine. The objective is to strengthen 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.
Cabinet confirmed that the 2024 cotton marketing season will commence on June 1, with more buying points being established across the country to improve farmer access and participation.
“Efforts are underway to decentralise cotton buying and create an efficient value chain to support cotton farmers,” Dr Muswere said.
Also tabled during Cabinet proceedings were highlights of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s official visits to Russia and Belarus, where discussions focused on deepening bilateral ties and securing Russia’s backing for Zimbabwe’s bid to join the BRICS bloc and the New Development Bank.
