Earlier this week government officials met representatives from the World Bank. According to Moses Jiri, the House of Assembly Chairperson for the Agriculture Portfolio committee, the bank is prepared to bankroll the land audit – provided it takes place in an orderly manner.
"I can confirm that we met with the World Bank on Tuesday and discussed the land audit. The Bank wants order first in order to assist," said Jiri.
"Donors want structures to be in place in order to finance the programme, and those in the ministry of lands are saying that they are consolidating information on farm ownership. At the moment there is no information of A1 farmers," he added.
Parliament was concerned over the delays in carrying out the audit, said Jiri, but could not do anything as the executive said it did not have adequate finances.
Herbert Murerwa the Minister of Land Reform and Resettlements was not immediately available for comment as he is said to be sick. He did not attend the meeting, sources said.
All parties to the GPA signed up to a comprehensive and transparent land audit to establish who occupies what land in Zimbabwe – specifically to eliminate multiple occupancy. The two MDC’s have been pushing for it, but Zanu (PF) clearly has no appetite for such an audit – it is common knowledge that President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party are multiple farm occupiers who have fiercely resisted a land audit. While some party fatcats did buy farms before 2000, the vast majority forcibly invaded commercial farms and have settled there.
There have been previous land audits – the Flora Bhuka Commission and the Utete Commission. Their findings were never published. Over the past six years, the Commercial Farmers’ Union and Justice for Agriculture have compiled their own lists from evidence submitted by its members – the rightful owners of the land.
These were published in full in The Zimbabwean and revealed multiple “ownership” by Zanu (PF)’s hierarchy, including President Robert Mugabe, who together with his family, “owns” 32 prime agricultural properties, mostly in Mashonaland West.
Even after benefitting enormously from the so-called land “reform” programme Zanu (PF) hardliners and members of the pro-Mugabe security forces have continued seizing more land from the few remaining commercial farmers, in breach of the inter-party political agreement.
In an apparent attempt to depoliticize the land question, the MDC-T has called for the establishment of an independent commission that would be given powers to administer legislation pertaining to land.
The commission would also be tasked to ensure transparency, equity and fairness in land acquisition and resettlement procedures as well as examine legislation and make recommendations to the government and Parliament for a national policy on the tenure, acquisition, use and distribution of land.
The audit is said to require at least $31 million – money that financial institutions are prepared to pay but cannot because of reluctance by Zanu (PF) to carry out the audit.
War veterans who also benefited from Mugabe's land largesse have repeatedly said they will resist any attempts to carry out a land audit.
Post published in: News