Opinion / Columnist
Zanu-PF 'regrabbing' Professor Jonathan Moyo's Farm(s)
22 Jun 2019 at 11:13hrs | Views
President ED Mnangagwa shocked the entire globe last week when he threatened to reclaim 16 farms (that were grabbed in the name of land reform) by the family of the former President RG Mugabe. Within the same period, President ED Mnangagwa's critic Professor Jonathan Moyo's farm has been invaded by alleged ZANU PF thugs and crooked war veterans. I pointed my finger to ZANU PF and war veterans because they are the only experts of violent land grabbing in Zimbabwe. Therefore, this piece seeks to demonstrate that the Zimbabwe's land reform was (is) illegitimate just like the Presidency of ED Mnangagwa. The land reform was (is) a ZANU PF project that will be normalized when ZANU PF is out of power. In a nutshell, there will be another inclusive land reform program when ZANU PF is out of power.
I respect Professor Jonathan Moyo as a democrat. He is contributing immensely to the democratic movement by critiquing the corrupt and clueless regime of President ED Mnangagwa. They say if one uses a sword to kill, the same person will die by the same sword. I also argue that if individuals grab the farms without national legitimacy/blessings, the farms are not theirs but will be 'regrabbed' in future. It is a shame that 100% of the grabbed land in Zimbabwe is either owned by ZANU PF politicians or ZANU PF supporters. There is need to redress that when time comes. I have a strong feeling that Zimbabweans will definitely come together (in future) and redress the land issue in Zimbabwe.
I want to warn all people who grabbed the land (under ZANU PF's chaotic land reform) that the ownership of land that they are in possession of is not permanent. They should therefore leave a big room for disappointment. If RG Mugabe and other G40 members' farms are under threat, this should be enough signal to them that the land reform program in Zimbabwe has not been legitimate. According to President ED Mnangagwa, the land reform program was (is) successful and legitimate. If the President is correct, why is his team 'regrabbing) and threatening to reclaim the farms grabbed by former ZANU PF officials?
ZANU PF was told by the critics to involve the civil society, churches and opposition parties in their land reform program but they did not listen. The aim was to legitimize the land reform program. A land reform is only legitimate if guided by fairness and inclusivity. If there was collective agreement from all Zimbabweans, the former President RG Mugabe could not have selfishly grabbed 16 farm. If there was inclusivity and legitimacy in Zimbabwe's land reform program, Professor Jonathan Moyo's Farm(s) could not have been under threat of grabbing. If there was fairness in Zimbabwe's land reform program, the country could have been the breadbasket of Africa.
To Professor Jonathan Moyo, I urge him to give to ZANU PF what belongs to ZANU PF. The land reform was a project of ZANU PF that is why they are taking back their land any time they feel it is good to do so. Zimbabweans made a mistake by allowing ZANU PF to change the national land status to be ZANU PF's property. The grabbing of Professor Jonathan Moyo's land by ZANU PF should make him stronger than before and fight against the dictatorship.
To all ZANU PF land grabbers, they should know that the land reform in Zimbabwe is not legitimate but a ZANU PF project. It is only a matter of time, the land will be reclaimed by the voice of the people. The land is theirs for now but time will definitely come for redressing the land issue. If President ED Mnangagwa is not going to take back the land from ZANU PF to the State, Zimbabweans will take back the land to the State when ZANU PF is out of power. There is no way illegitimacy can be changed to be legitimacy without painful and radical reforms. Therefore, the ZANU PF land grabbers of 2000/2001 etc. should leave a big room for disappointment because time is coming. It is on RG Mugabe, Professor Jonathan Moyo and G40 members today but it will be their turn tomorrow.
To President ED Mnangagwa, why is his office failing to make public the land audit report? How many farms do his family members have? How is he going to address the problems of land reform's legitimacy? Is there a difference between a family with 2 farms and RG Mugabe with 16 farms? I have a cousin who is a former soldier, he grabbed 3 farms and registered the two farms in the names of his daughter and son. The third one was registered in his name. Nature should redress all these
Don Chigumba can be found on twitter @Donchigumba
I respect Professor Jonathan Moyo as a democrat. He is contributing immensely to the democratic movement by critiquing the corrupt and clueless regime of President ED Mnangagwa. They say if one uses a sword to kill, the same person will die by the same sword. I also argue that if individuals grab the farms without national legitimacy/blessings, the farms are not theirs but will be 'regrabbed' in future. It is a shame that 100% of the grabbed land in Zimbabwe is either owned by ZANU PF politicians or ZANU PF supporters. There is need to redress that when time comes. I have a strong feeling that Zimbabweans will definitely come together (in future) and redress the land issue in Zimbabwe.
I want to warn all people who grabbed the land (under ZANU PF's chaotic land reform) that the ownership of land that they are in possession of is not permanent. They should therefore leave a big room for disappointment. If RG Mugabe and other G40 members' farms are under threat, this should be enough signal to them that the land reform program in Zimbabwe has not been legitimate. According to President ED Mnangagwa, the land reform program was (is) successful and legitimate. If the President is correct, why is his team 'regrabbing) and threatening to reclaim the farms grabbed by former ZANU PF officials?
ZANU PF was told by the critics to involve the civil society, churches and opposition parties in their land reform program but they did not listen. The aim was to legitimize the land reform program. A land reform is only legitimate if guided by fairness and inclusivity. If there was collective agreement from all Zimbabweans, the former President RG Mugabe could not have selfishly grabbed 16 farm. If there was inclusivity and legitimacy in Zimbabwe's land reform program, Professor Jonathan Moyo's Farm(s) could not have been under threat of grabbing. If there was fairness in Zimbabwe's land reform program, the country could have been the breadbasket of Africa.
To all ZANU PF land grabbers, they should know that the land reform in Zimbabwe is not legitimate but a ZANU PF project. It is only a matter of time, the land will be reclaimed by the voice of the people. The land is theirs for now but time will definitely come for redressing the land issue. If President ED Mnangagwa is not going to take back the land from ZANU PF to the State, Zimbabweans will take back the land to the State when ZANU PF is out of power. There is no way illegitimacy can be changed to be legitimacy without painful and radical reforms. Therefore, the ZANU PF land grabbers of 2000/2001 etc. should leave a big room for disappointment because time is coming. It is on RG Mugabe, Professor Jonathan Moyo and G40 members today but it will be their turn tomorrow.
To President ED Mnangagwa, why is his office failing to make public the land audit report? How many farms do his family members have? How is he going to address the problems of land reform's legitimacy? Is there a difference between a family with 2 farms and RG Mugabe with 16 farms? I have a cousin who is a former soldier, he grabbed 3 farms and registered the two farms in the names of his daughter and son. The third one was registered in his name. Nature should redress all these
Don Chigumba can be found on twitter @Donchigumba
Source - Don Chigumba
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
