The launch of Zimbabwe’s Urban Stateland Management Policy in April 2025 signals a decisive turn in how the country administers and allocates one of its most contested and valuable resources, urban land. With urbanisation accelerating and demand for housing surging in major cities such as Harare, Bulawayo, and Mutare, the policy stands as both a corrective mechanism and a developmental compass, seeking to reverse years of land mismanagement, speculative manipulation, and urban sprawl while fostering sustainable and inclusive development.
At the heart of the policy is an acknowledgment of the past. The Government concedes that previous models, while partially redressing historical imbalances in land access, also unleashed a wave of disorder. Unplanned settlements, lack of infrastructure, illegal land sales, and the emergence of powerful land and space barons reshaped Zimbabwe’s urban landscape. The consequences of these distortions have been stark, from settlements built on wetlands and under powerlines, to entire neighborhoods lacking roads, sewerage systems, and clean water. The findings of the Justice Uchena Commission exposed these crises, and the new policy emerges as a direct response to such revelations.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in his foreword to the policy, encapsulates its essence by framing it within the broader vision of the Second Republic. He identifies urban stateland not just as land but as a principal pillar of national development. His endorsement of decentralised land administration and the use of modern technologies signals an intention to modernise both governance and service delivery, echoing aspirations contained in Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy.
The policy is anchored on six strategic pillars, each reinforcing the goal of creating orderly, efficient, and equitable urban growth. These pillars include Governance and Decentralisation, Innovation and Technology, Procedures and Processes, Regulatory Framework and Enforcement, Infrastructure Development, and Planning and Compliance. By decentralising the Stateland Management Office and establishing provincial structures, the policy seeks to bring decision-making closer to communities and improve oversight. Meanwhile, the development of a dynamic land bank using Geographic Information Systems and the implementation of a unified electronic Urban Stateland Information Management System are clear efforts to enhance transparency and eliminate loopholes often exploited by corrupt actors.
One of the policy’s more revolutionary thrusts is its intention to end land baronism and speculative hoarding of land. Legislation will be enacted to criminalise unauthorised activities related to planning, surveying, and allocation, a bold move considering the political influence that land barons have historically wielded. Clear guidelines on developer selection, fair compensation frameworks for development-induced displacements, and a renewed focus on densification and redevelopment all point to a new urban order grounded in legality, fairness, and sustainability.
Equally critical is the policy’s commitment to infrastructure-led development. It is no longer acceptable, under this framework, for settlements to mushroom without roads, schools, water, or electricity. The policy reasserts the Government’s role in ensuring that every piece of urban stateland is matched by basic services and adheres to regulatory standards. Planning approval processes will be streamlined and monitored, building the capacity of local authorities to enforce compliance and protect environmental and public health standards.
The strategy also recognises the importance of engaging communities and leveraging private sector resources. By encouraging public-private partnerships, adopting innovative financing methods, and ensuring community participation in decision-making, the policy aims to build inclusive cities where every Zimbabwean has a stake.
Its implementation, however, will be the real test. The establishment of inter-ministerial taskforces and technical working groups will require inter-agency coordination rarely seen in practice. Monitoring frameworks with Key Performance Indicators will need not just to exist on paper, but be enforced rigorously to deter backsliding into the very dysfunctions the policy seeks to eradicate.
In sum, the Urban Stateland Management Policy 2025 is not just a regulatory framework, it is a statement of intent. It repositions land as a national development asset rather than a political tool or private commodity. If implemented with the seriousness it demands, it has the potential to redefine Zimbabwe’s urban narrative, replacing chaos with order, exclusion with equity, and speculation with sustainable progress. The document’s ambitions are vast, but so too is the opportunity it presents to transform urban land governance in Zimbabwe once and for all.
