Zanu-PF youth leader incites white farms grab

ZANU PF youth league secretary Kudzanai Chipanga has called for the seizure of all remaining white-owned farms in the Midlands province to resettle ruling party youths.

Addressing party youths in Gweru on Wednesday, Chipanga said that the time of continuously promising youths land was over.

He said President Robert Mugabe had assured him during the One Million Man March that the remaining land should go to youths.

The youth leader's call, however, came in the wake of reports that government was in the process of auditing land use through the Lands and Rural Resettlement ministry after concerns that most farms doled out during the land reform programme were lying idle.

"I understand there are still white farmers present in this province, the sun has set and it is time we part ways with them," Chipanga said amid wild applause from Zanu PF youths at the Gweru theatre.

"These farms should go to our (Zanu PF) youths so that they can be economically empowered."

He said those alllocating land in the province should give A1 farms so that many youths can get pieces of land.
Ironically, he said it was embarrassing that the country was importing maize when it had embarked on a land reform programme several years ago.

Chipanga also warned senior government officials who were delaying distributing land to youths, saying the Zanu PF youth leadership was coming after them.

"The President (Mugabe) said all the remaining land should go to youths, yet we have some who are involved in distributing land pretending as if they do not understand his (Mugabe) message," he said.

"Gone are the days when we keep talking that land should be given to youths with some people dilly-dallying. We warn these people that we are coming after you. We should all follow what the President of this country says."

The Zanu PF politburo member also warned senior government officials who own many gold claims, saying that youths should have access to such gold mines.

He promised youths that very soon they would get gold claims as well as residential stands to build houses.