In 2000, President Robert Mugabe launched Zimbabwe's controversial land reform program, seizing the majority of the 4,500 farms held by mostly white commercial farmers. More than a decade on, the farm invasions have continued without a clear allocation policy from the government.
MDC-T, National Spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora told The Zimbabwean that, “ The land distribution program was designed to empower the poor black people of Zimbabwe but, it turns out that black empowerment wasn’t the government’s plan as things start to unveil.
“Senior Zanu (PF) officials have continued to benefit from these invasions, they are just looting without a proper strategy on how to utilise the land. We therefore demand an audit which clearly shows the criteria being used to allocate the land,” said Mwonzora.
Justice Bharat Patel recently slammed the Lands Ministry over its murkiness in land distribution as he reversed the Lands Ministry’s 2005 decision to offer Denby Farm in Seke to a senior Zanu PF politician who already had another farm next to Denby Farm in 2001.
“MDC’s position remains that there should be a comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit to weed out multiple farm ownerships and identify underutilised land as stipulated by the law,” read a statement released by MDC-T.
Article V of the GPA requires the inclusive government to undertake a land audit, an agreement that has not been implemented.
According to MDC-T, Zanu (PF)’s land allocation process has been fraught with corruption and confusion as only last week, Grace Mugabe was reported to have taken over part of the lucrative Mazoe Estates in Mazowe leaving hundreds of workers without jobs.
The statement pointed, “By carrying out a proper land audit, Zimbabwe will be able to improve food security and increase the sector’s employment contribution. In its economic policy, Juice, the MDC’s position is that when it forms the next government this year, it will carry out an independent land audit and restore Zimbabwe’s status as the breadbasket of Southern Africa within the next three years.”
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