Masuka Grilled In Parliament

By Shingirai Vambe

The minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr Anxious Masuka came under fire by legislators this Wednesday afternoon over land allocation and continuous delays in issuing the land audit report.

Masuka told Parliament that his ministry has started yet another program of looking into all underutilised farms in Zimbabwe and multiple farm owners while preparing to allocate over 200 000 applicants who have been on the waiting list for more than 3 years now.

Zengeza West Legislator, Job Sikhala asked if there is still discrimination in the allocation of land as before, when land was given or allocated according to political party lines.

“Is land still being allocated according to political affiliations? Because majority of opposition members don’t have land, they were never allocated” said Sikhala.

Norton Member of Parliament, Themba Mliswa however asked if ever the land audit report will be made available.

“Why should the ministry start another program of identifying available land when it was previously done, it’s an issue of accountability, Transparent and resources from treasury” he said.

Majority who were allocated land in Zimbabwe have failed to utilize it and they are now opting to lease it out so that the ministry responsible may not reposes and allocate to other willing farmers.

Zanu pf bigwigs have been said to be on the forefront of leasing out land to former white farmers and land officers where previously said to be engaging in corrupt land activities around the country and the long arm of the law hasn’t managed to reach out to them.