News / National
'Make full use of allocated land or surrender it,' says Mugabe
08 Mar 2013 at 06:51hrs | Views
THOSE allocated land and not in a position to fully utilise it should surrender it back for reallocation to other landless people, says President Mugabe.
Speaking at the 21st Movement celebrations held at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura last Saturday which was attended by more than 15 000 people from all walks of life, President Mugabe said every piece of land should be put to good use.
"We gave people land and some of them are not putting it to good use, ko tiudzeiwozve kuti zvii zvirikutinetsa tisati tauya kwamuri. Mongoti ndakapihwa 300 hectares asi handina mari nematractor acho ekurimisa saka handizvikwanisi. Ndima iyoyo ngaidzorererwe. Hatidi vanhu vanongozvirova madundundundu vachiti vane mapurazi asi panei papurazi ipapo?
"Our A1 farmers are doing very well compared to A2 farmers and they should be encouraged to continue working hard. We will not hesitate to move in and take whatever idle land is there and resettle the landless. Land belongs to Zimbabweans and everyone should benefit from the country's resources," said President Mugabe.
He urged farmers to share information and prepare to work together to improve their farming.
"You should form groups and learn from each other. Your challenge as farmers is to aim high and break new ground. You should have higher aspirations and look forward. Static progress is not progress at all," he said.
President Mugabe hailed small-scale tobacco farmers for their efforts, but urged them not to wantonly cut down trees.
"Destruction of forests is not tolerated. You should join hands and buy coal from Hwange as a team. If we destroy trees, we will be destroying the future of our children," he said.
President Mugabe said all the riches in the soil belong to Zimbabweans and foreign companies should surrender part of their profits to the indigenous people.
"The riches in our soils belong to us and we should have a say in how they should be distributed. Mineral wealth is for everyone in Zimbabwe regardless of the location of that particular mineral. Mari inobva ikoko ndiyo inozoshandiswa kuita migwagwa, kuvaka zvikoro nezvipatara. Our wealth was looted by multinational companies, leaving us with nothing. Tinofanirwa kuziva kuti zvicherwa zvikacherwa pazvatorwa zvinopera isu tosara tisina chatinacho, izvi ndizvo zvatinoti kwete, makatora zvamakatora zvakakwana.
"We were fools in allowing foreigners to take all the profits from our minerals. Although we are now having a 51-49 shareholding structure, we feel that we are still giving them (multinational companies) a lot of money. I have told all the responsible ministers that we now want to form our own companies and hire equipment to exploit all the mineral resources in our country.
"This is the empowerment we want. Let us create our own indigenous companies from our professionals. We should unite and not despise each other because we fought together during the liberation struggle," said President Mugabe.
Speaking at the 21st Movement celebrations held at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura last Saturday which was attended by more than 15 000 people from all walks of life, President Mugabe said every piece of land should be put to good use.
"We gave people land and some of them are not putting it to good use, ko tiudzeiwozve kuti zvii zvirikutinetsa tisati tauya kwamuri. Mongoti ndakapihwa 300 hectares asi handina mari nematractor acho ekurimisa saka handizvikwanisi. Ndima iyoyo ngaidzorererwe. Hatidi vanhu vanongozvirova madundundundu vachiti vane mapurazi asi panei papurazi ipapo?
"Our A1 farmers are doing very well compared to A2 farmers and they should be encouraged to continue working hard. We will not hesitate to move in and take whatever idle land is there and resettle the landless. Land belongs to Zimbabweans and everyone should benefit from the country's resources," said President Mugabe.
He urged farmers to share information and prepare to work together to improve their farming.
"You should form groups and learn from each other. Your challenge as farmers is to aim high and break new ground. You should have higher aspirations and look forward. Static progress is not progress at all," he said.
"Destruction of forests is not tolerated. You should join hands and buy coal from Hwange as a team. If we destroy trees, we will be destroying the future of our children," he said.
President Mugabe said all the riches in the soil belong to Zimbabweans and foreign companies should surrender part of their profits to the indigenous people.
"The riches in our soils belong to us and we should have a say in how they should be distributed. Mineral wealth is for everyone in Zimbabwe regardless of the location of that particular mineral. Mari inobva ikoko ndiyo inozoshandiswa kuita migwagwa, kuvaka zvikoro nezvipatara. Our wealth was looted by multinational companies, leaving us with nothing. Tinofanirwa kuziva kuti zvicherwa zvikacherwa pazvatorwa zvinopera isu tosara tisina chatinacho, izvi ndizvo zvatinoti kwete, makatora zvamakatora zvakakwana.
"We were fools in allowing foreigners to take all the profits from our minerals. Although we are now having a 51-49 shareholding structure, we feel that we are still giving them (multinational companies) a lot of money. I have told all the responsible ministers that we now want to form our own companies and hire equipment to exploit all the mineral resources in our country.
"This is the empowerment we want. Let us create our own indigenous companies from our professionals. We should unite and not despise each other because we fought together during the liberation struggle," said President Mugabe.
Source - MP
