Staff Reporter
MUTARE — Retirees have been urged to transform their land and other assets into productive investments instead of allowing them to remain idle after leaving formal employment.
Speaking at the 3rd Public Service Commission Retirement Conference in Mutare, Permanent Secretary for Lands and Rural Development Professor Prosper Bvumiranayi Matondi said retirement should mark a transition into new forms of economic activity rather than the end of productivity.
Prof Matondi said land should be viewed not simply as an asset to own, but as a resource capable of generating income and sustaining livelihoods during retirement.
“Retirement is not the time to sit back and watch your assets gather dust. It is the time to make them move,” he said.
He said Zimbabwe had a significant land resource base, with about 39 million hectares, including approximately 33 million hectares suitable for agriculture, presenting opportunities for retirees to invest in productive activities.
Prof Matondi said Government’s Land Title Deed Programme was also helping create secure and bankable land rights, which could enable landholders to unlock greater economic value from their properties.
He said retirees did not necessarily have to become full-time maize farmers, but could explore a range of opportunities within the agricultural value chain, including horticulture, livestock production, fish farming, agro-processing and financial investments linked to agriculture.
“The question is not the size of the land, but the productivity per unit of land,” he said.
Prof Matondi said retirees should therefore focus on improving the productivity of the land and resources at their disposal rather than concentrating solely on the size of their holdings.
He said proper planning, experience and prudent investment could enable retirees to turn their assets into sustainable sources of income and reduce dependence on monthly pension payments.
The Permanent Secretary said productive assets could give retirees greater financial security while also contributing to national economic development through increased agricultural production, value addition and employment creation.
He encouraged retirees to use the knowledge and experience accumulated during their working lives to identify viable investment opportunities and make informed decisions.
Prof Matondi said retirement should therefore be viewed as an opportunity to redirect one’s efforts from earning a salary to building sustainable income-generating assets.
The conference brought together public service retirees and other participants to deliberate on issues affecting retirement planning, financial security and productive investment after formal employment.
