A report leaked to The Zimbabwean reveals that in January President Robert Mugabe’s deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, told delegates in the Chirumanzu-Zibagwe constituency that the government had crafted new strategies to take over farms belonging to remaining white farmers “in order to consolidate the land reform.”
Bidding farewell to his constituents following his elevation to the post of vice-president, he said that in some cases, the remaining white farmers would have their farms “cut to size.” The following month, Mugabe told thousands of guests at the lavish celebrations for his 91st birthday in Victoria Falls that the government was investigating how many white farmers had survived the 2000 land grabs with a view of taking over their properties and vowed: “we don’t need a white man to continue to guide us. No. We are now equipped with skills.”
Mugabe also accused expelled Zanu (PF) Mashonaland East chair Ray Kaukonde of allegedly harbouring more than 160 white farmers in the agriculturally rich province.
However, a leaked report by the Midlands Lands Committee, which includes top Zanu (PF) officials and is chaired by minister of state for provincial affairs Jason Machaya, reveals that there has been a U-turn on this stance. The document was circulated to all heads of government departments in the province and district administrators.
It was meant to advise the stakeholders on a decision made to spare about 30 white commercial farmers in the province from eviction. The farmers specialise in cattle ranching, dairy production and soya bean production on a commercial scale.
Part of the leaked report, which explains reasons for sparing of the 30 farmers, reads: “Cabinet approved that dairy farms and other strategic enterprises should be spared from allocations. The incumbents operating the farms should be recommended to continue with production. This was brought by the realisation that their production requires intensive and heavy capital outlays investments. (sic)
“There is also a certain threshold of experience required to make dairy farming viable and sustainable. It was also noted that that there has been a drastic decline of milk production since the beginning of the land reform programme.” Midlands provincial lands officer, Joseph Shoko, confirmed the development and pointed out that dairy farmer De Bryns whose targeted farm grab had raised anger, is one of those that have been spared.
“Strategic farmers will no longer have their farms seized. That is the position. What we are going to be doing is assess their production and issue them with offer letters and this includes the case of De Bryns, whose farm had already been occupied by some people in the peri-urban centres of Gweru. Those people have been advised to leave the farm. We will place them on our waiting list and be given other pieces later,” said Shoko.
A source privy to the goings on told this reporter that Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora had been on a secret tour of provinces where he has been informing stakeholders on the latest stance and encouraging them to embrace it.
Post published in: News