By Lawrence Paganga
The government has raised concerns over the increase in corruption by lands officers employed by the Lands and Agriculture Ministry who are illegally parcelling out land to undeserving people.
There are over 250 000 people, on the waiting list of the Lands Ministry, who have applied for land.
However, according to Zimbabwe the lands department has degenerated into a haven of corruption where a criminal cartel of government officers are demanding bribes from people in need of land.
The main targets by the corrupt land officers are Zimbabweans living and working outside the country, and are interested in investing in Zimbabwe.
“The lands department now has a bad reputation. The department has degenerated into a haven of corruption as officers demand kickbacks in land allocations, and that is very bad,” Masuka said last Friday while addressing senior officers in the lands department at a meeting on land distribution and management.
The meeting was held in Gweru.
“We need to clean that image now by doing the right things in a professional manner,” the minister said, adding there were some land officers who were only accessible to people that can afford kickbacks.
“There are land officers whose offices are entered only by those with something in their pockets. Something for something, nothing for nothing, and that is corruption in land allocation. Corruption must stop henceforth.”
“Planning and preparation of schedules and numbers are done by ministry officials, but I get phone calls from people giving me their schedule numbers. That shows that the officer would be trying to please his or her benefactor because such information as schedule numbers are private and confidential.
“Land is an economic enabler. The land must be used to unlock value and must be allocated in a transparent manner. Land can be used to maximise the productivity of the agricultural sector so that the country earns foreign currency.
“There is a backlog of about 250 000 people who applied for land and these applicants should be dealt with in fairness and transparency.
“We must do away with corruption. Now we have land officers who set targets to have two Mercedes Benz vehicles in two years from corruption, which is wrong,” the minister added.
