LONDON - The Director of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), Hendrick Olivier, has welcomed the idea of an open debate on the successes and failures associated with the Zanu (PF) land reforms that were accompanied by violence and sometimes murder since 2000.
I welcome reports by Professor Ian Scoones and his colleagues that there should be more research into land ownership. I also welcome the idea of an open debate on these so-called reforms. The CFU is in the process of putting our own report together and we will release it to everybody in due course, said Olivier in a telephone interview.
Earlier, Scoones told The Zimbabwean that the time had come for rounded debate on the subject of land ownership change.
This requires presenting the facts from the ground. But there is also a need for the government, the political parties, the international media, donors, embassies and so on to engage in the debate more fully. And this is why the research weve just published (Zimbabwes Land Reform: Myths and Realities published by James Currey, London) along with other solid field research on the impact of land reform needs to be at the centre of debate. We want the debate to move ahead based on evidence, on facts, on details and on information based on research rather than on conjecture, said Scoones.
His book (co-authored by a team of researchers from the University of Zimbabwe) was the result of interviews with 400 households (new black farmers) in Masvingo Province.
Only five percent of those interviewed could be categorized as cronies attached to the ruling party. Scoones said that his team of researchers met with no official blockage when it came to implementing research programmes in Masvingo Province and that his work has no political motive or agenda.
Asked about accusations that most of the land taken from (mainly) European commercial farmers over the last decade is now in the hands of largely incompetent black telephone farmers who live in cities and towns and who call up their farm managers at weekends to see how things are going, Scoones replied: Sure, there were elites who grabbed land unquestionablythere are some well-connected elites connected to the part who have multiple farms, contradicting the official policy on single farm ownership. In addition, there were others civil servants, business people who have gained land. Not necessarily elites by any means former extension officers, teachers, small-scale businesspeople and these people have added new skills, new connections, new entrepreneurial abilities in injecting them into the new resettlements.
Olivier said Scoones might not be far off the mark when he says that only give percent of the cronies had befitted in Masvingo. But he added: Most of Masvingo Province is very dry and its a cattle and wildlife area so not all the cronies fancy that. They like land that is close to the city centres because most of them have jobs in the army, civil service, police and they live in town, which enables them to pop down to their allocated farms at the weekend. When you analyse whats going on in the bigger picture and see whats going on with beneficiaries in other parts of the country then its a different situation altogether.
There are definitely some new farmers out there with potential. I am not talking about cronies. Im talking about genuine people who have applied for a piece of land. Theyve been given the land but theyve been given no assistance or support whatsoever. Theyve been dumped on a farm and told to get busy. Because of the collateral issue they cannot access any finance. Theyve got a piece of paper which the minister can review in 24 hours and say Youre off your farm now! and that doesnt give them any security. I admit there are some newcomers who could become very good farmers. They need support and this is where the CFU would like to play a role. This debate will be continued in the next issue. Please send your comments to: editor@thezimbabwean.co.uk
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