Mnangagwa Swears in Haritatos, Reconstitutes ZHRC and Appoints Tribunal to Probe Judge
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sworn in Muzvezve Member of Parliament, Vangelis Peter Haritatos as Minister of Lands and Rural Development, tasking him with reforms in land administration, agricultural productivity and rural transformation. The President also reconstituted the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission with six new commissioners and appointed a tribunal to investigate High Court judge Never Katiyo, signaling a broad governance push spanning land reform, human rights oversight and judicial accountability.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Harare - President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday swore in Honourable Vangelis Peter Haritatos as Minister of Lands and Rural Development, tasking him with steering reforms in land administration, agricultural productivity and rural transformation.
Haritatos, who previously served as Deputy Minister in the former Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Ministry for eight years, assumes the post at a time when government is under pressure to improve land utilisation and address long-standing inefficiencies in the sector.
Speaking after taking oath of office, Minister Haritatos said his immediate priority would be to strengthen the productive use of agricultural land through a comprehensive land policy framework.
“We must ensure proper land planning and maximum utilisation,” he said, outlining plans to modernise land administration systems.
Central to his agenda is the proposed digitalisation of land allocation and management systems, a move aimed at improving transparency and efficiency in the sector.
Hon. Haritatos also indicated that government would prioritise the conversion of offer letters into bankable title deeds, a longstanding demand from farmers seeking security of tenure and access to financing.
The issue of land tenure has remained a critical pillar of Zimbabwe’s agricultural recovery efforts following the fast-track land reform programme, with successive administrations pledging to enhance productivity while addressing structural bottlenecks.
The new Minister also pledged to tackle corruption in land-related matters, aligning his approach with Mnangagwa’s stated policy of zero tolerance to graft.
Allegations of multiple farm allocations, irregular land deals and administrative opacity have, in recent years, undermined confidence in land governance systems.
Analysts say the success of Haritatos’ tenure will depend largely on his ability to balance reform with enforcement.
Beyond land administration, Haritatos emphasised the importance of rural development, positioning it as central to inclusive national growth.
“No place and no one should be left behind,” he said, echoing government’s broader development mantra.
The Lands and Rural Development portfolio is seen as critical to Zimbabwe’s economic trajectory, particularly given agriculture’s role as a key driver of livelihoods and food security.
In a parallel development, Mnangagwa swore in six new commissioners to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, restoring the body closer to its full constitutional composition.
The commission had been operating with only two commissioners and a chairperson.
The newly appointed commissioners are Dr Dorothy Moyo, Anele Ndebele, Irene Sithole, Dr Tendai Charity Nhenga, Dzikamai Madzimure and Panganai Munkombwe.
Mnangagwa also swore in a three-member tribunal to investigate the conduct of High Court judge, Never Katiyo.
The tribunal, appointed in terms of the Constitution, is chaired by retired Justice Mafios Cheda, with legal practitioners Tafadzwa Charles Hungwe and Chaka Mashoko serving as commissioners.
Justice Cheda said the panel would conduct a thorough inquiry and submit its findings to the President.
