News / Local
I did not instruct war veterans to grab farms, says Dabengwa
16 Apr 2014 at 20:09hrs | Views
ZAPU leader, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, has denied claims that he instructed war veterans to occupy land owned by white farmers during the fast track land reform programme while he was the Home Affairs minister.
Speaking at a public meeting yesterday on a discussion titled "Whither Zimbabwe at 34" organised by Bulawayo Agenda in partnership with Sapes Trust, Dabengwa said he did not instruct war veterans to occupy or invade land that was still owned by whites.
Instead, he told the war veterans who had come to him initially, to demonstrate against the whites who were refusing to give up their land.
Dabengwa made this known in response to indications that he should not start criticising the land reform saying most farmers were failing to fully utilise the land or that it had benefitted a few yet he was the one who sanctioned war veterans to grab farms.
"When I was the Home Affairs Minister, war veterans came with their leader (late Chenjerai) Hunzvi asking me what we were going to do about the whites who were resisting the court order to refuse to vacate their farms. I agreed with them to perform demonstrations against them not to occupy the land," he stressed.
"The minutes of that meeting in cabinet are there when I was asked why the war veterans have occupied the land. I made it very clear that no they were not occupying but demonstrating against the white resistance to leave farms."
Dabengwa said when the war veterans felt they had demonstrated enough, Hunzvi went back to him telling him they wanted to pull out.
"The war veterans felt the government could take over and reallocate the farms but something went wrong and that was not from me," he said.
The Land Reform Programme started in 1980 with the objective of addressing the imbalances in land access ownership and use, which existed in Zimbabwe before independence.
It officially began in 1979 with the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement, an effort to equitably distribute land between the historically disenfranchised blacks and the minority whites who ruled southern rhodesia from 1890 to 1979.
The land reform programme can be divided into two periods: from 1979 to 2000, where a principle of willing buyer, willing seller was applied while beginning in 2000, the fast-track land reform programme took place.
The fats track land reform programme is one of the most crucial and most bitterly contested political issue surrounding Zimbabwe, as people had mixed reactions on how it was implemented
On whether Zimbabwe had achieved its objectives of the liberation struggle, as the country is approaching its 34, Dabengwa said no.
"When you ask me if the ideals and objectives of the liberation struggle have been fulfilled, my answer is a definite no."
Dabengwa continued, "You cannot say the ideals have been fulfilled when laws such as Public Order and Security Act (Posa) continue to suppress our people. Our human rights record has been on the spotlight. There is no freedom of expression and association."
Speaking at a public meeting yesterday on a discussion titled "Whither Zimbabwe at 34" organised by Bulawayo Agenda in partnership with Sapes Trust, Dabengwa said he did not instruct war veterans to occupy or invade land that was still owned by whites.
Instead, he told the war veterans who had come to him initially, to demonstrate against the whites who were refusing to give up their land.
Dabengwa made this known in response to indications that he should not start criticising the land reform saying most farmers were failing to fully utilise the land or that it had benefitted a few yet he was the one who sanctioned war veterans to grab farms.
"When I was the Home Affairs Minister, war veterans came with their leader (late Chenjerai) Hunzvi asking me what we were going to do about the whites who were resisting the court order to refuse to vacate their farms. I agreed with them to perform demonstrations against them not to occupy the land," he stressed.
"The minutes of that meeting in cabinet are there when I was asked why the war veterans have occupied the land. I made it very clear that no they were not occupying but demonstrating against the white resistance to leave farms."
Dabengwa said when the war veterans felt they had demonstrated enough, Hunzvi went back to him telling him they wanted to pull out.
"The war veterans felt the government could take over and reallocate the farms but something went wrong and that was not from me," he said.
The Land Reform Programme started in 1980 with the objective of addressing the imbalances in land access ownership and use, which existed in Zimbabwe before independence.
It officially began in 1979 with the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement, an effort to equitably distribute land between the historically disenfranchised blacks and the minority whites who ruled southern rhodesia from 1890 to 1979.
The land reform programme can be divided into two periods: from 1979 to 2000, where a principle of willing buyer, willing seller was applied while beginning in 2000, the fast-track land reform programme took place.
The fats track land reform programme is one of the most crucial and most bitterly contested political issue surrounding Zimbabwe, as people had mixed reactions on how it was implemented
On whether Zimbabwe had achieved its objectives of the liberation struggle, as the country is approaching its 34, Dabengwa said no.
"When you ask me if the ideals and objectives of the liberation struggle have been fulfilled, my answer is a definite no."
Dabengwa continued, "You cannot say the ideals have been fulfilled when laws such as Public Order and Security Act (Posa) continue to suppress our people. Our human rights record has been on the spotlight. There is no freedom of expression and association."
Source - Radio Dialogue
