Mnangagwa warns Zanu-PF bigwigs

VICE President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned bigwigs with vast tracts of land to brace for an exercise meant to reduce their farm sizes to acceptable hectares.

VP Mnangagwa said corruption in land matters would not be tolerated as evidenced by the recent arrest of Zanu-PF Harare province youth chairperson Godwin Gomwe.

Addressing a Zanu PF star rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday, the VP said only one farm would be allocated to one person or one family.

"There are people who were given farms - more than one per person, per family. We'll take some and you'll be left with one. We'll also say, the one you're left with must be the agreed size. If you're in region five, the maximum size is 2,000ha so those who are seated here, especially the chefs, if you've farms that are above 2,000ha, think twice, we'll come and cut them. We'll downsize. If they're many, you'll choose one that you'll keep and the others we'll give to others," said VP Mnangagwa.

"We're going to fight corruption wherever we find it. There's no one who'll hide. Times have changed. Anyone given land and doesn't utilise it, we'll give warnings for three years. After three years lapse when someone has been sleeping on the land, we'll ask him to go and sleep somewhere and leave the land."

The VP said in cities and towns, the government has a policy on urban agriculture.

He said cities are expanding and as such local authorities should look for land and give stands to people to build houses, but there should be no urban land barons.

He said in cities all land must belong to the state and not to individuals as the latter charge exorbitant prices to home seekers.

"No one should say it's my land except for chiefs - they're the ones with the areas and we say this is the land for the chief so and so," he added.

"So you'll be arrested. We're now arresting. We want housing to the people, transparency and everything must be above board, whether supplied by the council or cooperatives."

Mnangagwa said Gomwe's arrest on land related matters should act as a warning.

He said in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South, so much land was left in the hands of whites and that would be corrected.

"We've done our land reform. After doing our land reform, we gave people farms. Now, here in this region Matabelaland North and Matabeleland South there are still farms which weren't given to the people or taken from whites. We'll take them and give them to the people. That's what we agreed," he said.

"Those whites who will be left behind, it's you who will have said leave this one. I don't know what you'll have agreed. If you tell us to leave them, we'll listen because we're your servants and you're the masters, but our wish is for the land to go back to the people."

The VP's take on the land comes at a time when the government is working on a Land Commission Bill that is expected to ensure accountability, fairness and transparency in the administration of agricultural land controlled by the State. The proposed law is also expected to investigate complaints related to the administration of land and farm boundaries.