RDCs, lands ministry clash over levies
SOME Rural District Councils are operating against policy by directly collecting land levies from resettlement areas in a bid to avert bankruptcy and improve repairs of damaged infrastructure since the lands ministry is reportedly failing to expeditiously discharge its mandate and remit RDCs dues on time.
It is Government policy that farmers in resettlements should remit land levies to the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement – which will then remit part of the collected revenue to RDCs.
This came into force towards the end of 2015. RDCs are pushing for the reversal of the policy arguing that it was ill-advised and likely to cripple their operations as the mandated ministry has no capacity to execute such responsibility.
RDCs are bitter that since the issuance of the policy directive, their revenue base has been massively eroded, forcing them to retrench, slash salaries, trips and subsistence allowances to fund critical service delivery demands from resettled farmers.
In Manicaland, Makoni and Mutare RDCs are going out in full force to mobilise their share in a bid to improve rural infrastructure that was destroyed by incessant rains.
The other four RDCs in the province are testing the waters with a view to intensify their revenue collection in resettlement areas.
Holders of valid letters for A2 resettlement plots, self contained plot holders with offer letters, holders of 99-year leases and holders of leases on smallscale commercial farms should pay US$3 land rentals annually per hectare and US$2 per hectare for development levy yearly. RDCs are collecting their $2 leaving the lands ministry to collect their $3.
Holders of A1 permits or temporary permits are required to pay US$10 for land rentals and US$5 development levy yearly.
RDCs are collecting $5, leaving the ministry to collect the $10 for land rentals.
Revenues from the land rentals should be used by Government to manage rural State land while that from the development levy is meant for infrastructure development in areas under RDCs.
The RDCs are complaining that where the ministry has collected, the money was not being remitted, forcing them to collect their share directly from farmers.
RDCs national chairperson Cde Killer Zivhu said there was nothing wrong as long as RDCs were collecting what is due to them.
“The Ministry of Lands is failing to collect the money, and at the same time RDCs are expected to deliver service in those areas, and this could have triggered this.
“If the RDCs are taking what rightly belongs to them, I do not see anything wrong. What I do not know at the moment is what special arrangement those RDCs that are doing it have put in place with the lands ministry,” said Cde Zivhu.
A source from the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement who could not be named confirmed a conflict of interest between RDCs and their ministry.
“RDCs are against the idea. They feel they are more strategically positioned to do the job.
“Mutare and Makoni RDCs are at the forefront. There is conflict and confusion on the ground with farmers not knowing to whom they should pay,” explained the official.
Makoni RDC chairperson Cde David Mutasa said though no agreement has been reached over the matter, RDCs were of the opinion that they should be allowed to collect their dues directly from the farmers and not wait for disbursements from the lands ministry.