Government must set priority right

During my childhood in the dry land of Buhera, there was a bully called Mhunga. We used to call him Bambo. May his soul rest in peace. We spent most of our school holidays herding cattle in the forest where the law of the jungle was the code of survival.

 Indeed, only the fittest could survive in the jungle. We survived hunger by wild fruits, especially matamba and makwakwa. Upon seeing the fruits, it was dog eat dog as we scrambled to gather as many as we could. At times Bambo would shout thunderously declaring ownership to all the fruits on the tree. Nobody would dare challenge him and he would eat while we hungrily stare at him until he satisfied his hunger.

It took the bravery of Tawanda, an unassuming short boy from a nearby village, to end the tyranny of Bambo. On that historic day, we had endured some hours without water. When we eventually came across a well, as usual, bambo took the first turn to gulp the precious liquid and fill up his two litre container. To the shock of all of us, Bambo started urinating into the well before we drink. Seized with the rage of a bear, Tawanda jumped onto him. We all followed suit and ate him alive. That was the end of terror in the jungle.

The story crossed my mind as I brooded over the goings on in the land reform programme. I discovered that there are some people who still believe in the law of the jungle today. Like Bambo, after benefitting from a national programme, they shut out others from the opportunities. They do not mind whether there are others who still need to drink from the same well.

Some of the people who benefitted from the land reform no longer want the programme to continue. Several reasons, most of which inconsequential, have been given to support their selfish point. The land reform programme must continue until all Zimbabweans who are in need of land and have the farming proficiency get it. This is more so considering that land was the chief generative force for the liberation struggle.

Of late, the media was awash with stories of the so-called land invasions. The land invasions are just symptoms showing that demand for land is still very high. Unfortunately these land hungry people have been labelled squatters. They are not. These are people who are reclaiming what they rightfully deserve.

As the heroes day draws near, lest we forget that the land that these people are claiming is what Chairman Herbet Chitepo, Commander Nikita Mangena, General Josiah Tongogara and many others died for. They will turn in their graves if the beneficiaries of their blood are being called squatters and being evicted. They will surely roll in their graves if there are sons and daughters who are made to pay bribes to get farms. Indeed they will be upset if there are people who are not putting to good use the product of their sacrificial blood. They would be very angry to see the calibre of Bambo amongst us.

 The Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement is currently auditing the land reform to restore order. Unfortunately they want to start by evicting the people who are alleged to have illegally resettled themselves on undesignated land. Whilst lawlessness on the farms is not condoned, Minister Doglous Mombeshora must set his priority right. These people have been very productive on the so-called grazing land. Some of them are holders of offer letters given to them by the previous minister. It's only that we have a growing trend where every new minister changes everything done by his or her predecessor.

The Ministry should come up with alternative farms to resettle these productive families before evicting them. In this regard, repossession of farms from multiple owners and unproductive people must be prioritised in the audit exercise. Some got farms well above the stipulated sizes. These farms must be parcelled to capable landless farmers. The productive farmers on undesignated farms are, by far, better devils than the unproductive farmers on the designated farms.

Zimbabwe needs to reinstate its status of being the breadbasket of the region. For the past 14 years, the government has been investing a lot in farming with a view to revamping the sector which used to be the backbone of the national economy. Not much dividend has been realised from this investment. Some unscrupulous beneficiaries of the agricultural inputs and mechanisation even had the nerve to sell what they got free of charge, for quick money of course. These people must be the first port of call for the Ministry if we really want to put our economy on the rebound.

At the peak of the land reform, it was not as difficult as it is today to get a farm. Those who were young then, are finding it extremely difficult to get a mere five hectare plot. Those who benefitted are making it difficult for them. Some evil lands officers are even demanding bribes. Some politicians are protecting some white farmers whose farms would have identified by the district lands committee for resettlement. We know that these white farmers paid protection fee. These people are making a time bomb that will explode in the future. The landless will one day demand equitable distribution of national resources.