The government has lifted restrictions on land use changes, allowing local authorities across Zimbabwe to exercise discretion over planning decisions within their jurisdictions.
This follows the withdrawal of the Conditional Moratorium that had been in place since May 2025.
In a notice to all mayors, council chairpersons, chief executive officers, town clerks, and board secretaries, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe confirmed that local authorities are no longer barred from approving changes of land use or alterations to land reservations, which had been prohibited under the moratorium.
The move effectively restores the powers of councils and municipalities to manage land development and planning according to the provisions of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act. Said Garwe:
“It is hereby notified that the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, has, with effect from 31st March 2026 withdrawn the Conditional Moratorium which had been imposed in terms of Section 69 of Regional, Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 29:12 on change of uses (section 26 (3) and change of reservations (section 49 (3) and (4) applications which was issued on the 2nd day of May 2025.
“With this withdrawal of the Conditional Moratorium, local authorities are no longer prohibited from exercising the above-quoted Local Planning Authority powers in respect of change of use and change of reservation which the moratorium had imposed.”
Garwe said that the decision was reached after consideration that local authorities have significantly improved their internal planning and development control capacity. He said:
“The decision to withdraw has been taken after careful appraisal and assessment, which generally show that local authorities have significantly improved their internal planning and development control capacity, including compliance with conditions stipulated therein.
“The Ministry is satisfied that the measures put in place are adequate to address the challenges that had caused the moratorium to be imposed.
“Local Authorities are encouraged to continue strengthening the newly established Departments of Spatial Planning and to exercise robust development control measures.
“Further, the Ministry, through its Inspectorate Department, shall ensure compliance with the array of measures which Local Authorities undertook to abide by in order to achieve the objectives of orderly and functional settlements.”
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