99 Year Land Lease

A 99-year lease is a legally binding agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe who is the Lessor, and the A2 model beneficiary or farmer is the lessee. While the lessor agrees to lease a piece of land for an agreed rental for 99 years, the lessee agrees to rent the said piece of land at the agreed rental. The 99 Year lease agreement is issued to the land beneficiary as a form of long-term leasehold tenure.^[1]

Who qualifies to get the 99-year lease Agreement?

Beneficiaries who:

Have been productive on the farm.
Have made minimum developments on the farm.
Have successfully applied for the 99year lease
Have been issued with an offer letter by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.

How to apply for 99-year lease agreements?

A2 farmers collect lease application forms from the respective Ministry of Lands offices at Districts, Provinces and Head office.
Submit the completed forms with relevant details to the respective District Lands Offices.
Districts Lands Office initiates first farm inspection by visiting the farm and interviewing farmer.
The forms are then forwarded to head office.
The Agricultural Land Settlement Board will assess the application and make field visits to the farm of the applicant and submit their recommendations to the Minister of Lands, and Rural Resettlement.
The A2 farmer will then be notified of the outcome.^[1]

Benefits of the 99-year lease agreement.

It provides 99 years guarantee of land ownership if the farmer continues to meet the terms and conditions of the lease agreement.^[1]
It can be used as collateral for borrowing from financial institutions.
It is subject to the country's laws of inheritance.
It takes cognisance of spouses and women in their own right as it includes them in the lease agreement.
It can be registered at the Deeds Registry.^[1]
It is issued after surveying, which is an advantage as farmers are assured of their final actual boundaries at issuance of the 99ear lease agreements and copies of the survey diagrams would be attached on the agreements.
Land will always remain State property and no one can sell the land or hold it for speculative purposes.^[1]