Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Ministry submits US$31m budget for land audit

Ministry submits US$31m budget for land audit
By: TH.
Posted: Monday, September 20, 2010 8:29 pm

THE Ministry of Lands and Resettlement has submitted a US$31 million budget to the Ministry of Finance to fund the land audit, a Cabinet minister has said. The audit is meant to take an inventory of infrastructure at the farms in order to find ways of supporting newly resettled farmers where there is need.

In an interview recently, Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Herbert Murerwa said the audit was expected to start once funds were made available.

“We have already made a proposal to the Ministry of Finance on the budget that we need for the audit. We need about US$31, 2 million for the exercise to be successful.

“Government has finally decided to set up a commission to conduct the audit and once we have those areas covered then the audit will be taking place but it will be very soon.

“The commission will have to be approved by the principals and we will get proposals from them as well.

“In the commission we expect to have knowledgeable people in areas of agriculture and experts in policy management because we want to run it professionally,” he said.

Minister Murerwa said the objective of the audit was to empower resettled farmers contrary to claims that it was a witch-hunt exercise.

“The objective of the audit is not a witch-hunt exercise. It is aimed at taking an inventory of land that has been taken up and to find ways of empowering the farmers. We will be making an assessment of the situation on the ground in terms of who is occupying what land.

“The main objective is to empower and enable farmers to produce. We will be checking at infrastructure available like irrigation facilities and other necessities to make sure that our farmers have everything they need to farm,” Dr Murerwa said.

According to the Global Political Agreement signed by the principals of the three parties in the inclusive Government, the audit should be conducted during the current Seventh Parliament.

Article 5 of the GPA says the parties hereby agree to “conduct a comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit, during the tenure of the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe, for the purpose of establishing accountability and eliminating multiple farm ownerships.

“Ensure that all Zimbabweans who are eligible to be allocated land and who apply for it shall be considered for allocation of land irrespective of race, gender, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.”

Labels: HERBERT MURERWA, LAND AUDIT, LAND REFORM, MDC

posted by MrK @ 6:27 PM