One has often wondered what drives senior Zanu PF (ZPF) and security people who are prepared to use violence to keep Robert Mugabe in power. We are constantly reminded of the nationalist credentials of those at the top of the ZPF side of government and at the top of the military machine (police, army, CIO). They often claim that they are protecting the country from those trying to give away the country to the British and American imperialists.
Now these claims have been put to question after Phillip Chiyangwa clearly stated why the ZPF big wigs and top military men are afraid of Mugabe losing power. In an article dated 21st November 2011 he is quoted in the Newsday as saying, “There is no Zanu PF politician or relative of the President with riches who feels safe (if Tsvangirai won) because MDC wants to pounce on us and on our businesses”. This clearly shows how under Mugabe they have been allowed to do their businesses without any oversight. The ‘lootocracy’ that Mugabe and ZPF created in their more than thirty years in government could be under threat if a new government comes to power. Anyone whose business dealings are above board would not fear the coming of a new government but those whose sudden fortunes cannot be explained have a lot to fear from the election of a new government. Men and women who have worked in public service for the last twenty to thirty years now have million dollar business empires that are not commensurate with their earnings in the last thirty years. Where did they get this kind of money?
The violence that we have witnessed in recent elections has nothing to do with ‘protecting the gains of the liberation struggle’; it has nothing to do with the fear that a new government will return the country to whites and imperialists. This is not an attempt to protect Zimbabwe. It is an unashamed attempt to protect the businesses and riches of the Zanu PF politicians or relatives of President Mugabe. The merchants of death and violence sponsoring and authoring violence in cities and villages are motivated by nothing other than selfish interests. The families that have lost homes and family members because they support the opposition MDC haven’t been targeted because they pose a threat to Zimbabwe but to the ‘riches’ of Mugabe’s men. What has been dubbed the Third or Fourth Chimurenga is a war to ensure that ZPF politicians are not asked to account for how they got their ‘riches’.
It is sickening that ZPF is willing to make Zimbabweans suffer in order to protect the riches of the few. The selfishness is staggering. This is how much ZPF politicians and the President’s relatives have lost touch with the ideals of the liberation struggle. Gutsaruzhinji is now Gutsavakuru. Judging by the tone of Chiyangwa’s address we can expect a bloody election campaign as ZPF politicians and their hangers on in the politicised army, police and secret service seek to keep ZPF in power. They will murder, torture and maim Zimbabweans to protect the riches of the ZPF ruling class. God help us all!
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Mugabe's Dilemma
These are interesting times in ZANU PF (ZPF) as the party grapples with the fallout from the leaked US diplomatic cables. Wikileaks has finally caught up with ZPF. All the ZPF singers had a field day when the first cables of the conversations between US diplomats and members of the MDC were published. There were enthusiastic calls for people to be charged with treason. One of the loudest proponents of this course of action was Jonathan Moyo, MP. One wonders what he thinks now that it has been revealed that he also spoke to the Americans; even calling for regime change.
For a party that expelled Tracy Mutinhiri because of suspected links to MDC T (a lawfully constituted and registered political party) to not do something to people who dared to speak to the ‘hated’ Americans would be unbelievable. It would be hypocrisy at its highest for ZPF to expel Mutinhiri and yet do nothing to senior leaders who prostituted themselves to the Americans. So what will Mugabe do? Will he expel all the rebels who clearly feel that he has become a liability to the party and to the country?
One of the hawks in ZPF, Didymus Mutasa, is quoted in the media suggesting that those who engaged the US diplomats should be sanctioned. This issue will play right into the feisty succession debate currently engulfing the former ruling party. What must be playing on Mugabe’s mind is the potential of this tearing apart a party that is already fragile from the reported infighting. Chances are that if senior members of the party are suspended or expelled on the basis of the leaked cables then the infighting could potentially become a full on war which leaves the party terminally wounded. ZPF is a sick party and is unlikely to survive the upheaval that faces the party as it seeks to deal decisively with the ‘traitors’ who shared party secrets with US diplomats.
One way to deal with this would be to discredit the leaked cables as untrue and unfounded. This would allow ZPF to move on without having to do anything. However, discrediting the cables means that ZPF cannot then use them against the opposition. The ZPF Attorney General Johannes Tomana’s attempt to charge opposition politicians on the basis of evidence from the cables would automatically fall away. I am reliably informed by people with a greater understanding of Zimbabwe’s criminal law than mine that Tomana’s chances of successfully prosecuting the cases was nonexistent but it didn’t matter as long as it was MDC people being persecuted (prosecuted).
Another problem for Mugabe is that up to now he has maintained the myth that it is people outside ZPF who were calling for his departure. He has always claimed that it is the western ‘puppets’ in the MDC who have been pushing the agenda for regime change. This has now been shown to be the myth it has always been. The recent leaked cables reveal that significant numbers of ZPF officials want him to go. There is a growing consensus in Zimbabwe and in ZPF that Mugabe has become a liability. This is significant because it means that Mugabe can no longer claim that it is only Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders who want him out. It takes away the argument that we have heard ad nauseum from Mugabe and his party. The list of people who are reported to have spoken to the Americans reads like the Who is Who in ZPF and they all want Mugabe. Those of us who have always wanted Mugabe and his party to leave power will feel vindicated that even those closest to him feel that his time is up.
The other thing that has been revealed by these cables is that despite their public protestations people in ZPF want to impress the Americans. This could explain the anger in ZPF over the issue of targeted sanctions. Those in ZPF seem to have been competing for the approval of the mighty USA. The coming weeks and months will be interesting. We will keep watching the space!
For a party that expelled Tracy Mutinhiri because of suspected links to MDC T (a lawfully constituted and registered political party) to not do something to people who dared to speak to the ‘hated’ Americans would be unbelievable. It would be hypocrisy at its highest for ZPF to expel Mutinhiri and yet do nothing to senior leaders who prostituted themselves to the Americans. So what will Mugabe do? Will he expel all the rebels who clearly feel that he has become a liability to the party and to the country?
One of the hawks in ZPF, Didymus Mutasa, is quoted in the media suggesting that those who engaged the US diplomats should be sanctioned. This issue will play right into the feisty succession debate currently engulfing the former ruling party. What must be playing on Mugabe’s mind is the potential of this tearing apart a party that is already fragile from the reported infighting. Chances are that if senior members of the party are suspended or expelled on the basis of the leaked cables then the infighting could potentially become a full on war which leaves the party terminally wounded. ZPF is a sick party and is unlikely to survive the upheaval that faces the party as it seeks to deal decisively with the ‘traitors’ who shared party secrets with US diplomats.
One way to deal with this would be to discredit the leaked cables as untrue and unfounded. This would allow ZPF to move on without having to do anything. However, discrediting the cables means that ZPF cannot then use them against the opposition. The ZPF Attorney General Johannes Tomana’s attempt to charge opposition politicians on the basis of evidence from the cables would automatically fall away. I am reliably informed by people with a greater understanding of Zimbabwe’s criminal law than mine that Tomana’s chances of successfully prosecuting the cases was nonexistent but it didn’t matter as long as it was MDC people being persecuted (prosecuted).
Another problem for Mugabe is that up to now he has maintained the myth that it is people outside ZPF who were calling for his departure. He has always claimed that it is the western ‘puppets’ in the MDC who have been pushing the agenda for regime change. This has now been shown to be the myth it has always been. The recent leaked cables reveal that significant numbers of ZPF officials want him to go. There is a growing consensus in Zimbabwe and in ZPF that Mugabe has become a liability. This is significant because it means that Mugabe can no longer claim that it is only Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders who want him out. It takes away the argument that we have heard ad nauseum from Mugabe and his party. The list of people who are reported to have spoken to the Americans reads like the Who is Who in ZPF and they all want Mugabe. Those of us who have always wanted Mugabe and his party to leave power will feel vindicated that even those closest to him feel that his time is up.
The other thing that has been revealed by these cables is that despite their public protestations people in ZPF want to impress the Americans. This could explain the anger in ZPF over the issue of targeted sanctions. Those in ZPF seem to have been competing for the approval of the mighty USA. The coming weeks and months will be interesting. We will keep watching the space!
Sunday 28 August 2011
A Lybian transitional authority that includes Gaddafi will be a farce
The African Union (AU) has once again shown that it is a club of leaders who are largely out of touch with the aspirations of the African people. In an effort to protect its major benefactor, the Union is now proposing a Kenyan/Zimbabwean-style government of national unity for Lybia. The colonel himself sensing an opportunity has quickly dispatched his spokesperson to tell the world that Gaddafi is ready to negotiate with the rebels. What Gaddafi knows is that if a Kenyan/Zimbabwean-style transitional authority is constituted then he will remain in power. His powers will remain largely unchanged. Where was Gaddafi in the last six months? Why didn’t he offer to negotiate before he was on the run?
The African Union has protected and consolidated the power of those who lost elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe. The transitional authorities in both Kenya and Zimbabwe were about Kibaki and Mugabe rather than the people of Kenya and Zimbabwe. It will be a farce for Gaddafi to emerge from whatever ‘hole’ he is hiding in to lead Lybia again. I agree with many other commentators who say that the AU is on the wrong side of history. We have seen how the ‘national unity’ government in Zimbabwe has not been able to achieve its intended aims because of Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF. Once he had been saved by his friends in SADC and AU it was business as usual for Robert Mugabe. The GNU gave Mugabe legitimacy and gave him a strong negotiating position which hitherto he did not have.
Lybians should resist this blatant attempt by the AU to give a lifeline to Gaddafi. Only a few days ago Gaddafi was calling the freedom fighters rats and calling for their deaths. Now that he is cornered he is now trying to pretend that he is prepared to negotiate. It is common knowledge that once his attempt to make Lybia an Arab nation had failed Gaddafi embraced the AU and invested huge sums of money in the organisation. The AU budget has relied on the benevolence of the Lybian strong man for many years now. It is, therefore, impossible for the AU to be impartial in this conflict. The AU is not interested in the aspirations of the Lybian people. The organisation owes its very existence to Gaddafi and his vision for a United States of Africa so it will do everything possible to keep him in power.
It is farcical for the AU to suggest that Lybians do not know what is good for their country. Thousands left their homes, jobs, universities and families to join the ‘rebel’ army. Some left the comfort of life in Europe and America to join the freedom fighters because they believed that Gaddafi should be removed from power. They did not join the war in order to allow Gaddafi to return as head of a government of national unity. Mooting a transitional authority for Lybia that includes Muammar Gaddafi is like kicking the people of Lybia in the teeth. Gaddafi has made his own bed and he should be allowed to lie in it. The AU should stay out of Lybia.
The African Union has protected and consolidated the power of those who lost elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe. The transitional authorities in both Kenya and Zimbabwe were about Kibaki and Mugabe rather than the people of Kenya and Zimbabwe. It will be a farce for Gaddafi to emerge from whatever ‘hole’ he is hiding in to lead Lybia again. I agree with many other commentators who say that the AU is on the wrong side of history. We have seen how the ‘national unity’ government in Zimbabwe has not been able to achieve its intended aims because of Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF. Once he had been saved by his friends in SADC and AU it was business as usual for Robert Mugabe. The GNU gave Mugabe legitimacy and gave him a strong negotiating position which hitherto he did not have.
Lybians should resist this blatant attempt by the AU to give a lifeline to Gaddafi. Only a few days ago Gaddafi was calling the freedom fighters rats and calling for their deaths. Now that he is cornered he is now trying to pretend that he is prepared to negotiate. It is common knowledge that once his attempt to make Lybia an Arab nation had failed Gaddafi embraced the AU and invested huge sums of money in the organisation. The AU budget has relied on the benevolence of the Lybian strong man for many years now. It is, therefore, impossible for the AU to be impartial in this conflict. The AU is not interested in the aspirations of the Lybian people. The organisation owes its very existence to Gaddafi and his vision for a United States of Africa so it will do everything possible to keep him in power.
It is farcical for the AU to suggest that Lybians do not know what is good for their country. Thousands left their homes, jobs, universities and families to join the ‘rebel’ army. Some left the comfort of life in Europe and America to join the freedom fighters because they believed that Gaddafi should be removed from power. They did not join the war in order to allow Gaddafi to return as head of a government of national unity. Mooting a transitional authority for Lybia that includes Muammar Gaddafi is like kicking the people of Lybia in the teeth. Gaddafi has made his own bed and he should be allowed to lie in it. The AU should stay out of Lybia.
Friday 15 April 2011
Time to reflect on the meaning of Independence
In a few days we will be celebrating 31 years of ‘freedom’ from colonial rule. The word freedom implies that people are free; free to do as they please within the law. Free to participate in the political discourse of their country without the fear of being brutalised. I am not sure that as Zimbabweans we can claim to be free in this sense.
31 years ago Zimbabwe became a state ‘…which governs itself independently of any foreign power’ (Bouvier’s Law Dictionary). This gave us the power ‘…to make laws, to execute and to apply them: to impose and collect taxes, and, levy, contributions; to make war or peace; to form treaties of alliance or of commerce with foreign nations….’ A new state with a majority government was born. We set out on a journey to the future.
I vividly remember the euphoria that engulfed the nation when ZANU PF came to power in 1980. Everyone was flapping their arms like a cockerel to show their joy that Jongwe had won. For the first time the majority black Zimbabweans had a say in how they were governed. As a grade 1 pupil I didn’t understand what this meant but I clearly understood that the people were happy. My teacher then, Miss Muganhu (later Mrs Kadhani) walked into class that day flapping her arm and with a huge smile. As I grew up I was to always associate that smile with the joy that people felt at gaining independence.
The euphoria translated into delivery as in the first decade of independence Robert Mugabe led a government that declared a policy of reconciliation, built more schools, funded universal primary education, and implemented many other policies that changed people’s lives. There was hope. I am a product of the heavy investment in education. Those of us who went to school and university after 1980 suddenly found ourselves with opportunities that had been closed to non-whites during the colonial period. The work of ZIPRA and ZANLA in the liberation struggle was paying off. Zimbabwe was prospering.
So 31 years on what is there for those who took advantage of the opportunities presented to them by independence? What is there for our children? ZANU PF gave us an education; they made us aware of the power of one man one vote. ZAPU and ZANU introduced us to democracy through the 1980 elections. It is ironic therefore, that both ZAPU and ZANU have collaborated to take away the power of our vote. In the post 1987 era ZANU and ZAPU became ZANU PF and they have systematically taken back the powers that we wildly celebrated in 1980. Now the country that started with great promise is a shadow of its former self. Many of those who went round flapping their ‘wings’ in 1980 are in their fifties and sixties. They should be looking forward to peaceful retirement but instead they are being kept awake by two things; the prospect of extreme poverty in retirement and the fear of being branded a member of the opposition. Those of us who are younger are kept awake by the fact that while those able to vote in 1980 got a chance to change the way they were governed and who governed them we cannot do that now because a cabal of ZANU and ZAPU leaders have conspired to take away this right from us. They gave us an education but their policies have taken away the jobs. They introduced democracy to our parents who in turn inculcated it in us but now they are taking away our votes.
It is this light that we have to reflect on the 31 years of independence. The joy we felt in 1980 has dissipated. We feel cheated. We are effectively under a new colonialism authored and finished in 1987 by ZAPU and ZANU. Those who freed us from the chains of colonialism have now chained us to a rogue nationalist agenda that forces us to support ZANU PF or die. The power of our vote has been removed as those tasked with adjudicating the electoral contests are not impartial. Your vote has full value or double value if you vote for ZANU PF but it has half or no value if you vote for the opposition. 31 years on millions of the born free generation are living in foreign lands running away from the economic and political meltdown presided over by the liberation parties. 31 years on the born free generation watches in horror as those who promised a land of milk and honey are enriching themselves while the masses are languishing in poverty. This is the legacy that ZANU PF has bequeathed us. 31 years of ‘liberation’ have no meaning for most young people. While much was achieved in the early years of independence the last ten years have been largely forgettable.
31 years ago Zimbabwe became a state ‘…which governs itself independently of any foreign power’ (Bouvier’s Law Dictionary). This gave us the power ‘…to make laws, to execute and to apply them: to impose and collect taxes, and, levy, contributions; to make war or peace; to form treaties of alliance or of commerce with foreign nations….’ A new state with a majority government was born. We set out on a journey to the future.
I vividly remember the euphoria that engulfed the nation when ZANU PF came to power in 1980. Everyone was flapping their arms like a cockerel to show their joy that Jongwe had won. For the first time the majority black Zimbabweans had a say in how they were governed. As a grade 1 pupil I didn’t understand what this meant but I clearly understood that the people were happy. My teacher then, Miss Muganhu (later Mrs Kadhani) walked into class that day flapping her arm and with a huge smile. As I grew up I was to always associate that smile with the joy that people felt at gaining independence.
The euphoria translated into delivery as in the first decade of independence Robert Mugabe led a government that declared a policy of reconciliation, built more schools, funded universal primary education, and implemented many other policies that changed people’s lives. There was hope. I am a product of the heavy investment in education. Those of us who went to school and university after 1980 suddenly found ourselves with opportunities that had been closed to non-whites during the colonial period. The work of ZIPRA and ZANLA in the liberation struggle was paying off. Zimbabwe was prospering.
So 31 years on what is there for those who took advantage of the opportunities presented to them by independence? What is there for our children? ZANU PF gave us an education; they made us aware of the power of one man one vote. ZAPU and ZANU introduced us to democracy through the 1980 elections. It is ironic therefore, that both ZAPU and ZANU have collaborated to take away the power of our vote. In the post 1987 era ZANU and ZAPU became ZANU PF and they have systematically taken back the powers that we wildly celebrated in 1980. Now the country that started with great promise is a shadow of its former self. Many of those who went round flapping their ‘wings’ in 1980 are in their fifties and sixties. They should be looking forward to peaceful retirement but instead they are being kept awake by two things; the prospect of extreme poverty in retirement and the fear of being branded a member of the opposition. Those of us who are younger are kept awake by the fact that while those able to vote in 1980 got a chance to change the way they were governed and who governed them we cannot do that now because a cabal of ZANU and ZAPU leaders have conspired to take away this right from us. They gave us an education but their policies have taken away the jobs. They introduced democracy to our parents who in turn inculcated it in us but now they are taking away our votes.
It is this light that we have to reflect on the 31 years of independence. The joy we felt in 1980 has dissipated. We feel cheated. We are effectively under a new colonialism authored and finished in 1987 by ZAPU and ZANU. Those who freed us from the chains of colonialism have now chained us to a rogue nationalist agenda that forces us to support ZANU PF or die. The power of our vote has been removed as those tasked with adjudicating the electoral contests are not impartial. Your vote has full value or double value if you vote for ZANU PF but it has half or no value if you vote for the opposition. 31 years on millions of the born free generation are living in foreign lands running away from the economic and political meltdown presided over by the liberation parties. 31 years on the born free generation watches in horror as those who promised a land of milk and honey are enriching themselves while the masses are languishing in poverty. This is the legacy that ZANU PF has bequeathed us. 31 years of ‘liberation’ have no meaning for most young people. While much was achieved in the early years of independence the last ten years have been largely forgettable.
Saturday 19 February 2011
An Empty Birthday
Today (21st February 2011) marks Robert Mugabe’s 87th birthday. He has lived long and many have remarked on how healthy and spritely he is. One hopes that as he looks back on nearly 9 decades of health and life he will take time to reflect on what he has done to Zimbabwe.
Life expectancy in Zimbabwe has been reduced to thirty seven for most Zimbabweans mainly due to Zanu PF policies. Most government hospitals, clinics and health centres have been reduced to ghosts of their former selves. Thousands of nurses and doctors have been forced into economic exile because Mugabe’s government chose to pay his Green Bomber militias better than teachers and nurses. Some had to run away from their rural health centres because Zanu PF ‘youths’ wanted to kill them. This left Zimbabwe with an understaffed and underfunded health care system.
While Robert Mugabe has had a fruitful and ‘successful’ 87years on earth, hundreds of thousands of children have died in the decade between 1999 and 2009 because they could not access health care. Thousands of mothers died in childbirth because they could not afford to go to hospital. While his health is properly looked after by doctors and nurses in Malaysia and Singapore thousands of Zimbabweans are dying because they cannot access or afford proper health care. Many young people in Zimbabwe will not live to the ripe old age of 87 because of a variety of factors; chief among them the Zanu PF government policies of the last decade. This is the legacy that Mugabe has bequeathed to the children of Zimbabwe.
In his 87years on earth Robert Mugabe has achieved a lot in terms of education. We are constantly reminded of his many university degrees. Those of us who graduated from state universities in Zimbabwe will know that his degrees (earned and honorary) covered half the front of the graduation booklet. I have nothing against his achievements except that he took away from Zimbabwe’s children a chance to achieve the same. Robert Mugabe prides himself as the boy from Kutama (the village) whose mother worked hard to help him get a good education. It is, therefore, ironic that through his scorched earth policies many teachers ran away from village schools because Zanu PF ‘youths’ threatened to kill them for choosing to support the MDC. In some cases teachers were beaten to pulp just for being suspected MDC supporters. Now Zimbabwe’s children can no longer write a Robert Mugabe rags to riches type story for themselves because there are not many qualified teachers in rural schools. Some talented teachers are working in bars and restaurants, construction, warehouses while some are caring for the elderly in foreign lands because they were driven away by politics and poor pay. Thanks to Robert Mugabe. The quality of teachers has been drastically reduced ever since colleges started recruiting teacher trainees based on their political affiliation rather than academic qualification.
As we look back on the 87 years of Robert Mugabe’s life on earth we can’t help but reflect on his thirty years in power. How the hope and euphoria of the 1980s gave way to the anger and disappointment of the 1990s and beyond. While he has lived for nearly 9 decades, thousands of young and middle aged men and women perished in Matabeleland and the Midlands. Their only crime was being different from Mugabe. While he enjoys today with his wife and children, thousands of Zimbabwean families are without a father as a direct result of Mugabe’s policies – Patrick Nabanyama, , Trymore Midzi, Talent Mabika, Tichaona Chiminya, Milton Chambati, Titus Nleya and many others who have remained faceless and nameless. Political violence has robbed children of the chance to see their fathers live to a ripe old age. Mugabe’s merchants of death have torched homes, murdered opponents as well as destroyed families.
I hope when Mugabe sits down to eat cake with his family, friends, cronies and supporters he will realise what an empty 87th birthday it is. Empty because the people are not celebrating with him; they are not praying for many more. It is an empty birthday because Zimbabweans can never aspire to a life half as long as his. A sad birthday to you Mr President!
Life expectancy in Zimbabwe has been reduced to thirty seven for most Zimbabweans mainly due to Zanu PF policies. Most government hospitals, clinics and health centres have been reduced to ghosts of their former selves. Thousands of nurses and doctors have been forced into economic exile because Mugabe’s government chose to pay his Green Bomber militias better than teachers and nurses. Some had to run away from their rural health centres because Zanu PF ‘youths’ wanted to kill them. This left Zimbabwe with an understaffed and underfunded health care system.
While Robert Mugabe has had a fruitful and ‘successful’ 87years on earth, hundreds of thousands of children have died in the decade between 1999 and 2009 because they could not access health care. Thousands of mothers died in childbirth because they could not afford to go to hospital. While his health is properly looked after by doctors and nurses in Malaysia and Singapore thousands of Zimbabweans are dying because they cannot access or afford proper health care. Many young people in Zimbabwe will not live to the ripe old age of 87 because of a variety of factors; chief among them the Zanu PF government policies of the last decade. This is the legacy that Mugabe has bequeathed to the children of Zimbabwe.
In his 87years on earth Robert Mugabe has achieved a lot in terms of education. We are constantly reminded of his many university degrees. Those of us who graduated from state universities in Zimbabwe will know that his degrees (earned and honorary) covered half the front of the graduation booklet. I have nothing against his achievements except that he took away from Zimbabwe’s children a chance to achieve the same. Robert Mugabe prides himself as the boy from Kutama (the village) whose mother worked hard to help him get a good education. It is, therefore, ironic that through his scorched earth policies many teachers ran away from village schools because Zanu PF ‘youths’ threatened to kill them for choosing to support the MDC. In some cases teachers were beaten to pulp just for being suspected MDC supporters. Now Zimbabwe’s children can no longer write a Robert Mugabe rags to riches type story for themselves because there are not many qualified teachers in rural schools. Some talented teachers are working in bars and restaurants, construction, warehouses while some are caring for the elderly in foreign lands because they were driven away by politics and poor pay. Thanks to Robert Mugabe. The quality of teachers has been drastically reduced ever since colleges started recruiting teacher trainees based on their political affiliation rather than academic qualification.
As we look back on the 87 years of Robert Mugabe’s life on earth we can’t help but reflect on his thirty years in power. How the hope and euphoria of the 1980s gave way to the anger and disappointment of the 1990s and beyond. While he has lived for nearly 9 decades, thousands of young and middle aged men and women perished in Matabeleland and the Midlands. Their only crime was being different from Mugabe. While he enjoys today with his wife and children, thousands of Zimbabwean families are without a father as a direct result of Mugabe’s policies – Patrick Nabanyama, , Trymore Midzi, Talent Mabika, Tichaona Chiminya, Milton Chambati, Titus Nleya and many others who have remained faceless and nameless. Political violence has robbed children of the chance to see their fathers live to a ripe old age. Mugabe’s merchants of death have torched homes, murdered opponents as well as destroyed families.
I hope when Mugabe sits down to eat cake with his family, friends, cronies and supporters he will realise what an empty 87th birthday it is. Empty because the people are not celebrating with him; they are not praying for many more. It is an empty birthday because Zimbabweans can never aspire to a life half as long as his. A sad birthday to you Mr President!
Saturday 8 January 2011
THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG...
For years now, Zanu PF (ZPF) has claimed that the MDC is seeking to reverse the ‘gains’ of the land reform programme. They have used it to scare rural communities into voting for them. Now ZPF has finally acknowledged that the land reform is not working and that they are no ‘gains’ from the land reform.
This past week Dr Herbert Murerwa for the first time let the cat out of the bag by confirming that the government has taken land from ‘new farmers’ and given it back to the former white owner. The reason for doing this was that the black beneficiary of the land reform programme was not using the land. One hopes this will be the norm rather than the exception. There are many farms where there is hardly any production going on so the government should give the land to people who have the capacity to farm. This should not be about black or white farmers but rather the ability to invest in the farm and to make effective use of the land. The ZPF approach was about taking land from white farmers and giving it to black ‘farmers’. The only criteria for taking away land from you was because you were white and the only criteria for giving land to you was because you were black. This is wrong.
I do not think that we should return to the pre-2000 status quo but I think that those farmers who only had one farm especially those who were given a certificate of no contest when they bought their farms after independence should return to their land. The reason why I opposed the pre-2000 land ownership was because it left almost all of the arable land in the hands of the white farmers. It cannot be justified that 1% of the population controlled 90% of the arable land. There was, therefore, need for reform. It would be naive for people to say there was nothing wrong with the land ownership in our country before 2000. I also think that the current situation with regard to land in Zimbabwe is unsustainable. There are reports of senior political and military figures having multiple farms. If the intention of the land reform was to empower the majority of Zimbabweans then it has failed miserably. The President and his wife each own farms while there are millions who do not have land. I do not subscribe to the notion that we should have more farmers. I subscribe to the thinking that instead of dividing up the farms into smaller holdings we should have a farming community that reflects the makeup of the population i.e. the majority of ownership of the estimated 4000 to 5000 farms should come from the majority in the population. I also subscribe to the idea that we should have a one (wo)man one farm policy and that there must be a maximum farm size. The maximum farm size should be determined by those who are qualified to do so. It should not be a political decision.
There is also something wrong with the approach ZPF is taking now. If we are to believe this is the beginning of a new chapter in the ZPF land reform then they are again seeking a quick fix solution. It is almost like Murerwa wants to sort out the mess by bringing back the white farmers. What this ignores is the fact these farms have been vandalised and cannibalised. The infrastructure has been damaged such that those returning to their farms will need help. I am going to state the obvious here. The reason why white farmers have done well over the years is the investment into farming infrastructure and mechanisation by the white minority governments; a system of financial support that helped the settlers to improve their farms. Before the land reform when you bought a farm it was a going concern. Now most of the farms are no longer working. Replacing one owner with another will work where the farm is still intact but where the farm is derelict then government should develop a soft loans system to help the farmers bring the farms back to life. ZPF should not think there is a quick fix to the mess they created in farming.
Anyone who cares to read the MDC policy on land since 1999 will discover that the party has consistently said that the pre-2000 land tenure was unsustainable and needed reform. The MDC were the first to clearly outline their policy on land even before the 2000 Constitutional Referendum. The policy also included plans to support the new farmers until they became established. Their argument with ZPF has always been the manner in which the ‘reform’ was done. ZPF had no plans so the reform was done in a haphazard way.
Finally Murerwa’s statement clearly shows that ZPF accepts the land reform in its current form is not working. All the more reason for having a Land audit in order to know who owns what land and what they are doing with it. What, then, is the way forward for Zimbabwe’s farming? The answer lies in all stakeholders accepting that the current land ownership model is not working. Those who have benefited unfairly from the land reform programme should be forced to give up the land. This land should then be given to people with the financial and technical ability to run a farm regardless of their politics, religion or ethnicity. The government should mobilise financial resources to support those who get the land to help them in their farming. There is also need to give title deeds to the new owners to allow them to use the land as collateral. Having title deeds will encourage people to invest in the farms. Here is hoping that the realisation in ZPF that the land and agrarian reforms have not worked will make the party more amenable to the idea of a land audit.
This past week Dr Herbert Murerwa for the first time let the cat out of the bag by confirming that the government has taken land from ‘new farmers’ and given it back to the former white owner. The reason for doing this was that the black beneficiary of the land reform programme was not using the land. One hopes this will be the norm rather than the exception. There are many farms where there is hardly any production going on so the government should give the land to people who have the capacity to farm. This should not be about black or white farmers but rather the ability to invest in the farm and to make effective use of the land. The ZPF approach was about taking land from white farmers and giving it to black ‘farmers’. The only criteria for taking away land from you was because you were white and the only criteria for giving land to you was because you were black. This is wrong.
I do not think that we should return to the pre-2000 status quo but I think that those farmers who only had one farm especially those who were given a certificate of no contest when they bought their farms after independence should return to their land. The reason why I opposed the pre-2000 land ownership was because it left almost all of the arable land in the hands of the white farmers. It cannot be justified that 1% of the population controlled 90% of the arable land. There was, therefore, need for reform. It would be naive for people to say there was nothing wrong with the land ownership in our country before 2000. I also think that the current situation with regard to land in Zimbabwe is unsustainable. There are reports of senior political and military figures having multiple farms. If the intention of the land reform was to empower the majority of Zimbabweans then it has failed miserably. The President and his wife each own farms while there are millions who do not have land. I do not subscribe to the notion that we should have more farmers. I subscribe to the thinking that instead of dividing up the farms into smaller holdings we should have a farming community that reflects the makeup of the population i.e. the majority of ownership of the estimated 4000 to 5000 farms should come from the majority in the population. I also subscribe to the idea that we should have a one (wo)man one farm policy and that there must be a maximum farm size. The maximum farm size should be determined by those who are qualified to do so. It should not be a political decision.
There is also something wrong with the approach ZPF is taking now. If we are to believe this is the beginning of a new chapter in the ZPF land reform then they are again seeking a quick fix solution. It is almost like Murerwa wants to sort out the mess by bringing back the white farmers. What this ignores is the fact these farms have been vandalised and cannibalised. The infrastructure has been damaged such that those returning to their farms will need help. I am going to state the obvious here. The reason why white farmers have done well over the years is the investment into farming infrastructure and mechanisation by the white minority governments; a system of financial support that helped the settlers to improve their farms. Before the land reform when you bought a farm it was a going concern. Now most of the farms are no longer working. Replacing one owner with another will work where the farm is still intact but where the farm is derelict then government should develop a soft loans system to help the farmers bring the farms back to life. ZPF should not think there is a quick fix to the mess they created in farming.
Anyone who cares to read the MDC policy on land since 1999 will discover that the party has consistently said that the pre-2000 land tenure was unsustainable and needed reform. The MDC were the first to clearly outline their policy on land even before the 2000 Constitutional Referendum. The policy also included plans to support the new farmers until they became established. Their argument with ZPF has always been the manner in which the ‘reform’ was done. ZPF had no plans so the reform was done in a haphazard way.
Finally Murerwa’s statement clearly shows that ZPF accepts the land reform in its current form is not working. All the more reason for having a Land audit in order to know who owns what land and what they are doing with it. What, then, is the way forward for Zimbabwe’s farming? The answer lies in all stakeholders accepting that the current land ownership model is not working. Those who have benefited unfairly from the land reform programme should be forced to give up the land. This land should then be given to people with the financial and technical ability to run a farm regardless of their politics, religion or ethnicity. The government should mobilise financial resources to support those who get the land to help them in their farming. There is also need to give title deeds to the new owners to allow them to use the land as collateral. Having title deeds will encourage people to invest in the farms. Here is hoping that the realisation in ZPF that the land and agrarian reforms have not worked will make the party more amenable to the idea of a land audit.
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