RURAL LAND ACT (as amended at March 2004)
“share-cropping” means any right to depasture livestock
on any portion of a property or cultivate any portion of a
property granted in return for a share in the crops grown or
livestock depastured, or under an obligation to sell all or part
of such crops or livestock to the owner of the property but
does not include any bona fide labour agreements entered
into in terms of section 49 of the Land Apportionment Act
[Chapter 257 of 1963] or any contract made by the Cold
Storage Commission established under the Cold Storage
Commission Act [Chapter 18:06] with livestock producers
for the grazing and management of livestock of the Cold
Storage Commission.
any person in the lawful exercise of his powers or duties
under this Act shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a
fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for a period
not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such
imprisonment..
15 Regulations
(1) The appropriate Minister shall have power to make
such regulations as he may deem expedient to give force or
effect to this Act or for its better administration.
(2) The appropriate Minister may make regulations in
terms of subsection (1) providing for—
(a) limiting the number of pieces of land that any person
may own for farming or other purposes;
(b) limiting the size of any piece of land that may be
owned by any person for farming or other purposes
and, in so doing, the Minister may fix the size of any
such piece of land according to the natural region in
which such land is located or according to such other
criteria as he considers appropriate;
(c) prohibiting or restricting the right of—
(i) individuals who are not resident in Zimbabwe;
(ii) companies or bodies corporate whose activities
are controlled by individuals who are not resident in Zimbabwe;
to own, lease or otherwise occupy land in Zimbabwe.
11 Penalty for any contravention of this Part
(1) Any owner or occupier of land who contravenes any
provision of this Part shall be guilty of an offence and liable
to a fine not exceeding level ten or to imprisonment for a
period not exceeding two years or to both such fine and such
imprisonment.
(2) Where an owner of land is convicted of an offence
under subsection (1), the court before which he is convicted
shall order that any alienation, lease, permit or right granted
in contravention of this Part shall be cancelled, and shall, in
the case of any alienation, lease, permit or right registered in
the Deeds Registry, cause a copy of such order to be sent to
the Registrar of Deeds who shall note the contents thereof on
any document relating to the land concerned which is
registered in the Deeds Registry and shall make the necessary entries in the registers kept in his office.
SCHEDULE (Section 12)
MATTERS IN REGARD TO WHICH APPROPRIATE MINISTER
SHALL GIVE CONSIDERATION
1. The size of the land units proposed in any development
in relation to the nature of the development contemplated and the facilities proposed to be provided for its
occupation and development.
2. The suitability of the land for the type of development
proposed in relation to existing development in adjacent areas and having regard to the area, position, soil,
aspect and climatic conditions.
3. The pattern of development in the area and the
amenities available to the community likely to arise
therefrom.
4. The conditions proposed to be attached to the sale or
lease of any land.
5. The availability of access roads, existing or proposed to
be provided, the permanent water supplies existing or
proposed to be provided, and any other improvements
such as buildings, cattle dipping facilities, irrigation
works or fencing, whether in existence or proposed to
be provided.
6. Any other matter which may be prescribed by regulation.
PART IV
GENERAL
12 Exercise of duties
In the exercise of the duties, functions and powers conferred in Part III regard shall be had to—
(a) the matters mentioned in the Schedule; and
(b) any representations made in connection with any
matters by any local authority, a town planning or responsible authority, any conservation committee appointed under the Natural Resources Act [Chapter
20:13] or any farmers’ association, which is affected
or likely to be affected thereby.
13 Entry upon any land
The appropriate Minister or any person authorized thereto
in writing by the appropriate Minister may, at all reasonable
times, enter upon any land with such persons, animals,
vehicles and appliances as may be necessary for the execution of his or their duties and may enter and inspect any such
land and do all such things thereon as are necessary for
surveys or investigations in connection with the carrying out
of anything authorized to be done under this Act.
14 Penalty
Any person who prevents such entry upon land as is authorized by section thirteen or wilfully obstructs or hinders
provisions of the Act to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement.
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The Act has been amended by the Criminal Penalties
Amendment Act, 2001 (No. 22 of 2001) (penalties
changed in sections 11 and 14).
Statutory Instrument 61B/2004 notifies the assignment of
the administration of the Act to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Resettlement in terms of section 31D of
the Constitution. Statutory Instrument 187/2001, citing
section 2(2) of this Act, assigns the administration of all
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