THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) say the government must safeguard the citizens’ rights in land allocation through putting in place fair and transparent systems.
This comes as the country has been battling to deal with land barons, who have been fleecing home seekers of their hard-earned money.
In a speech read on her behalf by Zacc spokesperson John Makamure — during the launch of a Zacc and TIZ report on Urban and Peri-Urban Land Governance in Harare on Friday — the anti-graft body’s chairperson Loice Matanda-Moyo, said land barons were posing a major challenge to the land issue in the country.
“Informed by the study findings, Zacc and TIZ believe that the urban and peri-urban land governance system should be corrupt-free, transparent, fair, and accessible to the people. It should be responsive to their needs, and properly resourced.
“We should all expect and enjoy equal opportunities and access to land. And the evidence shows that unfortunately this is not always the case.
“The government should also harmonise the activities of various land management institutions and appoint a single land management authority.
“Implement the automation of the engineering, land management and housing divisions for local authorities through joint efforts of the government, local authorities and civil society organisations,” Matanda-Moyo said.
The report details results of a research in health service delivery, public finance management, public procurement and mining sectors, from 800 respondents in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare.
“Impacts like eviction, homelessness and losing structures through demolitions have been cited as results of corruption in land governance.
“This is affecting not only people at the margins of our society but is felt across the whole population — including impacting our fiscal budgets, and in our lost potential as a nation.
“Zacc and TIZ in this research study have gathered … that there are multiple land management authorities who create challenges of accountability and transparency in the land governance value chain,” she said.