Zimbabwe Targets Idle Farms in Major Land Audit Using Drones and Satellite Technology

HARARE — The Zimbabwean government is preparing to launch a nationwide land audit targeting underutilised farms, multiple farm ownership and illegal land allocations as authorities intensify efforts to restore order, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen land governance reforms.

Vangelis Haritatos, the Minister of Lands and Rural Development, said the audit will rely on modern technologies, including drones, remote sensing systems, satellite imagery, and digital mapping tools, to verify land ownership, productive use, and legality of allocations across the country.

“Underutilisation, multiple ownership and irregular allocations will be addressed because land is a finite national resource that must be productively used,” Haritatos said. “A structured land audit will be conducted using tools such as remote sensing and drone verification to establish factual evidence on land use, legality and allocation status.”

The planned Zimbabwe land audit comes as the government pushes to improve accountability within the agricultural sector while addressing long-standing concerns over idle farmland, disputed ownership and illegal land sales commonly referred to as “sabhuku deals”.

Officials say satellite imagery and aerial drone surveys will help authorities identify idle farms, illegal settlements and underutilised agricultural land while also improving accuracy in boundary verification and dispute resolution.

Agricultural economist Persistence Gwanyanya previously noted that improving land utilisation and security of tenure remains critical to boosting agricultural output, attracting financing and restoring investor confidence in Zimbabwe’s farming sector. Haritatos said authorities would distinguish between deliberate underutilisation and genuine operational difficulties faced by farmers.

“The process will be fair and will not target farmers affected by genuine challenges such as drought or lack of finance,” he said. “However, where land is found to be unjustifiably idle, intervention may include repossession or downsizing.”

Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector remains heavily dependent on land reform outcomes implemented over the past two decades, with the government increasingly focusing on productivity, financing and formalisation of land ownership structures. The minister also confirmed that the government is accelerating the issuance of title deeds to farmers as part of broader land tenure reforms aimed at improving security, unlocking agricultural financing and encouraging long-term investment.

“Title deeds are intended to boost farmer confidence, stimulate investment and unlock value through resource mobilisation, partnerships and a range of financing opportunities,” Haritatos said.

He added that farms with clean, surveyed, and dispute-free records would receive priority while authorities strengthen digital land databases and verification systems.

“Systems will also be strengthened to ensure title deeds are supported by credible surveys, clear boundaries, accurate records and secure digital data, because a deed is only as useful as the integrity of the land information behind it,” he said.

Haritatos also warned against illegal land sales and unauthorised allocations by land barons, village heads or corrupt officials.

“Land allocation must remain legal, orderly and accountable,” he said. “No village head, land baron or official has the authority to sell State land.”

The government said it is working with the Zimbabwe Land Commission, rural district councils, traditional leaders and law enforcement agencies to clamp down on illegal land parcelling and fraudulent land transactions.

The minister further reaffirmed the government’s commitment to compensating former white commercial farmers under the 2020 Global Compensation Deed valued at approximately US$3.5 billion.

“This process does not reverse land reform, which remains irreversible,” Haritatos said. “It is aimed at settling historical obligations, strengthening international reengagement and reducing uncertainty in the agricultural sector.”

Zimbabwe land audit

Zimbabwe, Land Reform, Agriculture, Farms, Drones, Vangelis Haritatos, Land Audit, Title Deeds, Zimbabwe Economy, Rural Development