Mugabe warns against leasing out farms

President Mugabe has warned people leasing out their farms to white former land holders that it could be a calculated comeback by the white farmers disguised as assistance.

Addressing thousands of people at the Mashonaland West Youth Interface Rally on Saturday, President Mugabe said people should use the land instead of being coaxed into retrogressive arrangements that could lead to them being dispossessed in future.

"So, how come, I ask, that some of you, who have farms have allowed whites to come back clandestinely and are farming?" said President Mugabe.

"They are working on your farms as you spend time, perhaps in Harare. Mapurazi arikurimwa nemabhunu (White farmers are farming on those farms).

"Ko matadza kurima? Maakudzora mabhunu (Have you failed to farm that you are returning white farmers? Awandaka mapurazi akadaro munyika. Saka, vakambomhanya vachienda kuSouth Africa, zvino vadududza nenjere dzekuti ahh, nekuti takasiya gejo redu nematractors achiri kune mamwe mapurazi. Handei tichiti ahh, tinokurimirai. Zororai zvenyu. Tisu tova varimi. So, what are you doing? Munofunga muri kuiteyi? Muri kuiteyi? Kuchenjera here ikoko? Huh?"

President Mugabe used the analogy of a man who was dispossessed of his tent by a cunning camel after feeling sympathy for it on a wintry day.

"Ngamera yaona kuti zvino yaisa makumbo, yaisa musoro, yaisa musana; yasimba, ndokubata muviri nouyo huruku! Abatwa! Akandwa kunze! Ngamera yapinda mutende! Ndoyaakudziya moto!" said President Mugabe.

"Rwaive rungano rwaive mumabhuku edu ekuchikoro. The story of a man and his camel. Ndozvamuri kuitwa, kuti "ingondibvumirai chete, ndauya kuzokurimirai". Chido here? Ndiri kungotaura ndichida kukupai mazano.

"Ndiri kutaurawo zvakare semutungamiri wakamboona maitiro evarungu."

President Mugabe said the British and their allies agreed at the Lancaster House Conference that land would be redistributed to the landless black majority, but they later reneged.

They had promised to mobilise resources to compensate their kith and kin, but all was in vain.

President Mugabe said people should remain united before commending Zimbabweans for taking part in Government programmes such as Command Agriculture.

He said the country was now faced with challenges of storage for grain after a bumper harvest the last farming season.

"Saka, ndiyo yatipa, zvino, goho ratanga tisati taona," he said. "Ratiputsa musoro iye zvino, kuti ko toisa kupi? Hatina kunge tafunga patakafunga zvemubatiranwa uyu. Dai takafungawo zvekuti kana chibage tachirima, tichaisa pai?"

President Mugabe said there was need for temporary messures for storage of grain, as silos took time to build.

"Dai tatarisa kunaanaSouth Africa kuti dzimwe nzvimbo dzavanoita temporary structures vanodziita sei," he said. "Saka, ngaive issue yekufunga kuti tochiisa kupi? Iye zvino, ndirikunzwa kuti masilos aya anenge azara, but tinofara. Kuguta ikoko. Kuguta; kuzvimbirwa kwataita. Ndozvakanaka."

President Mugabe said Government would continue to assist A1 farmers and those far from dams with inputs under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.

He said the country should consider growing rice targeting local consumption initially.

Other crops, President Mugabe said, should also be considered.

He called on livestock holders to use scientific methods of breeding as they could generate income.