Haritatos Sworn In As Minister Of Lands And Rural Development
President Emmerson Mnangagwa this morning swore in Hon. Vangelis Peter Haritatos as the new Minister of Lands and Rural Development, marking the official start of his new tenure at State House in Harare.
The ceremony, held in line with Subsection 6 of Section 104 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, saw Haritatos take the appropriate ministerial oath before the President, formally assuming responsibility for one of the country’s most politically and economically sensitive portfolios.
His appointment follows the recent split of the former Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development into two separate portfolios, a move aimed at creating a more focused approach to land administration and rural transformation. The restructuring means lands and rural development will now be handled under a dedicated ministry, while agriculture, water, and fisheries fall under a separate portfolio. [SOURCE REQUIRED]
“Today’s oath is a commitment to serve our farmers, our rural communities, and the nation with diligence,” said Hon. Haritatos after the ceremony. [Illustrative — verify or replace]
FFA Explainer:
Subsection 6 of Section 104 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe sets out how ministers are appointed and sworn in. It requires that a minister take an official oath of office before assuming duties, a safeguard meant to underline accountability, loyalty to the Constitution, and service to the nation.
The lands portfolio sits at the heart of Zimbabwe’s economic recovery efforts, with rural communities carrying much of the country’s food production and export potential. Policy alignment with National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals is expected to remain central as the new minister takes office. [SOURCE REQUIRED]
For smallholder farmers from Mazowe to Gokwe, the split of the mega-ministry could signal more targeted attention to long-running land administration issues, farm tenure security, and rural infrastructure, from access roads to irrigation schemes. In Mashonaland West, for instance, farmers in Zvimba have long pressed for faster processing of 99-year lease documents and improved support for youth and women seeking land. [SOURCE REQUIRED]
How Hon. Haritatos steers this new ministry will have direct implications for land use planning, dispute resolution, and support to resettled farmers across the country. For many rural households, the new minister’s decisions will be felt not in policy documents, but in yields, market access, and security of tenure over the seasons ahead.
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