The Sunday News
“I could go into the whole theories of discrimination in legislation, in residency, in economic opportunities, in education. I could go into that, but I will restrict myself to the question of land because I think this is very basic. To us the essence of exploitation, the essence of white domination, is domination over land. That is the real issue,” Herbert Chitepo speech in 1973 (Chatora, 2016).
Today we celebrate our Independence Day. It is a day that did not come on a silver plate, but after a protracted war of liberation. As we pomp the champagne in celebration of the country’s 41st birthday, let us take a moment to remember and reflect on the gallant sons and daughters of this country who sacrificed their lives to free the country from the bondage of colonialism.
It is the independence that gave us freedom. Freedom of movement and freedom of expression, but above all, it is the freedom to take part in national development and freedom to access land and natural resources that makes us proud Zimbabweans.
It is access to land that has been a major game changer in the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans. After the successful land reform exercise which corrected the colonial land ownership imbalances, more and more Zimbabweans are being given access to land by the Government, which enables them to participate in the agro-based economy, much for the betterment of the nation.
Of course, there are other countless success stories in other sectors like education, health, housing and road infrastructure, among others, thanks to self-rule which ended discrimination against the black majority. And in his inaugural speech in November 2017, President Mnangagwa reiterated that access to land is key.
“However, given our historical realities, we wish the rest of the world to understand and appreciate that policies and programmes related to land reform were inevitable. Whilst there is a lot we may need to do by way of outcomes, the principle of repossessing our land cannot be challenged or reversed. Dispossession of our ancestral land was the fundamental reason for waging the liberation struggle. It would be a betrayal of the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives in our liberation struggle if we were to reverse the gains we have made in reclaiming our land.
Therefore, I exhort beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme to show their deservedness by demonstrating commitment to the utilisation of the land now available to them for National Food Security and for the recovery of our economy. They must take advantage of programmes that my Government shall continue to avail to ensure that all land is utilised optimally. To that end, my Government will capacitate the Land Commission so that the Commission is seized with all outstanding issues related to land redistribution.”
We note that resettled farmers are defining the success story of the land reform programme, with many doing well and contributing significantly to food security for the country. Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) executive director Mr Paul Zakariya told our sister paper, Chronicle last week that under the A1 model, more than 150 000 families benefitted from the land reform programme while 20 000 benefitted under the A2 category.
“These are people that have taken over farms that were previously owned by only 4 000 white farmers. The resettled farmers are black Zimbabweans who ordinarily would not have had access to commercial farming. Because of the land reform programme, they have managed to have access to productive land. In terms of economic empowerment without land it is very difficult to claim that you have made it in life.”
Mr Zakariya said despite challenges at the initial stage, the land reform has over the years seen the country’s agricultural sector improving in terms of productivity. As we celebrate our independence day, let us forever cherish the legacy of peace, unity and development bequeathed to us by the founding fathers and mothers of this great nation.
