Government has reiterated that the Land Reform Programme
was irreversible and there would be no major disruptions to agriculture as only
a few indigenous farmers were likely to be affected by reallocations, while a
mere 37 farms covered by Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection
Agreements (BIPPAS) would be offered back to farmers who were dispossessed.
Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister
Dr Anxious Masuka yesterday said only indigenous farmers who were dispossessed
of their properties during the Land Reform Programme and those covered under
BIPPAs, would have the opportunity to get their land back.
The Government classifies indigenous farmers as people of
Zimbabwean origin who were previously marginalised before 1980 and had acquired
land either through direct purchase or through Government commercial farm
schemes before the land revolution.
These farmers would either get their land back or get full
compensation for the agricultural land acquired and improvements that were done
on the farms.
Section 295 (1) subsection 2 of the Constitution also
provides for the full compensation of persons whose agricultural land was
acquired, yet it was protected.
“There is no confusion because the Constitution of Zimbabwe
is very clear, Section 295 subsection 1 and subsection 2 that we have an
obligation to compensate for land and improvements for indigenous Zimbabweans
who constitute only 1,3 percent of the 18 600 farmers that were allocated land.
“We also have an obligation under the Constitution, to consider
the BIPPAS and Bilateral Investment Treaty and those constitute just under one
percent of the 18 600 beneficiaries. Those fall in the category that the SI 62 of 2020 clearly explains.
“When an application is lodged with the minister, there is
consideration whether in the public interest and security of the country there
is merit in doing so. Where it is no longer possible then compensation is
offered,” he said.
Minister Masuka said former owners, who are still on the
farms but had not regularised, should immediately approach the relevant
Government offices around the country to lodge their applications.
“This indicates that the land reform programme is
irreversible. So those that are there ought to follow the law because the land
is vested in the State and that category of farmers is 294 and again about one
percent of the 18 600. Altogether the numbers that we are looking at
addressing, redressing for the clarity we gave on Monday affects a mere 3,2
percent of the beneficiaries. You will not notice because it’s a minute
proportion of the beneficiaries,” he
said.
He said the ministry would explain the process in
vernacular to ensure everyone understood that land reform was irreversible.
“The Global Compensation Deed clearly articulates that and
there is acceptance by both parties that we now want to move to a second stage
which is ensuring that we increase agricultural productivity, we increase
production and profitability; agriculture becomes a business and this country
is way up in into food security territory from now into the future.
“Government is genuine and has done the best under the
circumstances and provision of the Constitution which we overwhelmingly adopted
in 2013,” he said.
This position was also reaffirmed in Parliament yesterday
by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi after
queries from the opposition on the import of the new Government policy which
has been misinterpreted in many circles.
Responding to questions from MDC Alliance Harare East legislator
Mr Tendai Biti, Minister Ziyambi said the pronouncement on compensation for
white former commercial farmers was not a reversal of the Land Reform
Programme.
“What we are doing now is to bring closure to the Land
Reform Programme so that we move forward and focus on production,” he said.
He shot down suggestions that Parliament should have been
involved in discussing the compensation deal.
“That is the role of the Executive and we will only bring
it to Parliament for approval. If there is need to use taxpayers’ money, the
Appropriation Bill for that will come to Parliament,” Minister Ziyambi added.
In an earlier interview with The Herald , Minister Ziyambi
allayed fears of a reversal of the land revolution, saying Government would
only offer land back to two categories of farmers who were dispossessed under
land reform, namely black indigenous farmers and white farmers who were
protected by Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs)
signed between Zimbabwe and their countries.
There have been misinterpretations of Statutory Instrument
62 with some people speculating that the Government was reversing the land
reform programme.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF acting secretary for Information and
Publicity Cde Patrick Chinamasa yesterday said land reform was something that
the revolutionary party guarded jealously.
Speaking at the ruling party’s weekly press conference, Cde
Chinamasa said: “The issues pertaining to the land question where settled in a
referendum in 2013 giving rise to our current Constitution. Section 295 of the
Constitution as read with subsections 7 and 8 of section 72 of the Constitution
clearly spell out the issues pertaining to compensation for land under three
categories: land compulsorily acquired which was owned by indigenous black
Zimbabweans, land compulsorily acquired which was owned by citizens of other
countries who enjoyed protection under Bilateral Protection Agreements (BIPPAs)
and land and falling outside of these two categories
Cde Chinamasa said that land which fell under BIPPAs and compulsorily acquired would not constitute 1 percent of the
total hectarage compulsorily acquired.
He warned the MDC-A and the former colonisers to stop
lecturing the Government on the land redistribution exercise.
“The MDC and its allies who resisted the land reform
process, and begged sanctions for our people to be punished for taking back the
land cannot lecture or school us about land reform,” said Cde Chinamasa.
The revolutionary land redistribution programme embarked
upon by the Zanu PF Government from 2000 to date has been a most powerful and
effective tool of empowering the previously disadvantaged black population of
Zimbabwe and had made the Zimbabwean population, post-colonialism, one of the
most empowered populations regionally and continentally.
In order to render the land redistribution programme
irreversible in practical terms and to bring finality to the land question, it
was incumbent on Government to expedite the issuance of permits to the more
than 350 000 households who benefited under the A1 scheme and granting of
99-year leases to the more than 19 000 beneficiaries under the A2 scheme.
Herald
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