News / National
'Zimbabwe land reform has failed,' says Bennett
17 May 2013 at 21:24hrs | Views
How can anyone deem the land reform scheme a success when we are now begging Zambia for maize? When you used to export various products to help your neighbour and now you are begging them for basic food, surely that is a failure.
After Zimbabwean farmers were evicted from the farms, many relocated to Zambia, the same farmers who used to feed the region to the credit of Zimbabwe, now feed Zimbabwe to the credit of the Zambian Government and the foresight of the late Levy Mwanawasa, we now see the incumbent, President Sata bragging about Zambia's production and offering food relief to Zimbabwe.
There is a claim by Government about the increase in tobacco production???? Were it not for the demand for tobacco by the tobacco companies who have pulled every stop to get supply, from small scale extension and extending lines of credit to leasing land from political beneficiaries, employing white skilled tobacco farmers with full inputs, there would be no increase in the tobacco production, there can be no thanks to the ZANUPF or Government for the increase of tobacco production, nor can it be claimed to be a success of any land reform.
Land and farming for anybody closely associated with it, know undoubtedly that it is a commitment, a hard life, it is 24 hours a day first at work and last to leave, you cannot work else where for the week return back at weekends and expect returns.
If you do not know what you are doing you might as well take the monies risked for inputs put them in a hole and burn them, for the quickest way to lose money is to venture into farming without the know how, infrastructure or industrial back up.
When agriculture was destroyed it was not just the mere theft of one person's property on the basis of race and hate, it was also the destruction of an industry that was the backbone of the economy vast numbers of jobs on farms and in the cities, there were clinics, schools training facilities that no longer exist, this my friends is the truth.
We desperately need to have an open discussion about food security and production that is not based on racial grounds. Hundreds of thousands of people are hungry in our country and have no jobs and no prospects. If we can boost our agriculture industry then we can feed thousands of Zimbabweans and also provide them with long-term employment and some hope. No amount of hatred, mud slinging, lies and force can deny the truth it there for all of us to see, The truth and love will set us free!!! Roy Bennett
After Zimbabwean farmers were evicted from the farms, many relocated to Zambia, the same farmers who used to feed the region to the credit of Zimbabwe, now feed Zimbabwe to the credit of the Zambian Government and the foresight of the late Levy Mwanawasa, we now see the incumbent, President Sata bragging about Zambia's production and offering food relief to Zimbabwe.
There is a claim by Government about the increase in tobacco production???? Were it not for the demand for tobacco by the tobacco companies who have pulled every stop to get supply, from small scale extension and extending lines of credit to leasing land from political beneficiaries, employing white skilled tobacco farmers with full inputs, there would be no increase in the tobacco production, there can be no thanks to the ZANUPF or Government for the increase of tobacco production, nor can it be claimed to be a success of any land reform.
Land and farming for anybody closely associated with it, know undoubtedly that it is a commitment, a hard life, it is 24 hours a day first at work and last to leave, you cannot work else where for the week return back at weekends and expect returns.
If you do not know what you are doing you might as well take the monies risked for inputs put them in a hole and burn them, for the quickest way to lose money is to venture into farming without the know how, infrastructure or industrial back up.
When agriculture was destroyed it was not just the mere theft of one person's property on the basis of race and hate, it was also the destruction of an industry that was the backbone of the economy vast numbers of jobs on farms and in the cities, there were clinics, schools training facilities that no longer exist, this my friends is the truth.
We desperately need to have an open discussion about food security and production that is not based on racial grounds. Hundreds of thousands of people are hungry in our country and have no jobs and no prospects. If we can boost our agriculture industry then we can feed thousands of Zimbabweans and also provide them with long-term employment and some hope. No amount of hatred, mud slinging, lies and force can deny the truth it there for all of us to see, The truth and love will set us free!!! Roy Bennett
Source - online
