Speaking at a press conference at the Bulawayo Media Centre
on Tuesday, ZNLWVA Chairperson Andreas Ethan Mathibela criticised the
government for making this decision without consulting the public through a
referendum. He believes the move will benefit elites while sidelining ordinary
Zimbabweans.
“I can guarantee you, the minute that pronouncement was
made, the entire nation, war veterans included, were taken aback. Society is
saying, ‘You people didn’t go to war just to acquire land and then sell it,’”
Mathibela stated.
He questioned the logic behind the policy, expressing
concern for future generations. “Who are we selling it to? What will happen to
our future generation when we sell the land that many lives were lost fighting
for? I hope society misunderstood what the government said, but it was live on
television when they made the announcement.”
Mathibela noted that Zimbabwe’s land is finite, stating,
“The land will not expand beyond the borders of Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia,
Botswana, and South Africa. That means once you sell the land, only a few
people will hold onto it.”
He voiced concerns that the policy would primarily benefit
a small, privileged group, leaving many, including war veterans, without land.
“I can speak on behalf of war veterans—about 75 to 80 percent have not been
allocated land, the very land they fought for, including myself. I don’t even
have a piece of land. So, the question is, who owns the land right now?” he
asked.
Mathibela further argued that allowing the sale of land
would hurt Zimbabwe’s agricultural potential, as land intended for farming
could be repurposed for private development. “When you sell land, the buyer is
not obligated to engage in agriculture. Some just subdivide it for housing.
Land that was meant for farming is being privatized. People get title deeds and
can do whatever they want,” he explained.
He also criticised the government’s focus on compensating
white former landowners over providing land to Zimbabweans. “There is a $3.5
billion compensation bill for former white farmers, yet many of us who fought
for this land remain without it. Does that make sense? Personally, it does
not,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the sacrifices made during the liberation
struggle, Mathibela called for a national consultation, urging the government
to involve all Zimbabweans in decisions about land ownership. “We must be
careful and respect our citizens by consulting them. If we all agree to sell
the land, then it’s on all of us, but that decision cannot come from a few
individuals,” he insisted.
Mathibela also compared Zimbabwe’s land struggles to
international conflicts. “Look at Palestine and Israel—they are fighting for
their ancestral land, even if it’s a desert. We must fight for our fertile
land.”
He concluded by declaring the war veterans’ firm stance
against the sale of land. “We declare that land must not be sold to anyone,
black or white. The land is God-given and must be utilised by all Zimbabweans,
including veterans. We do not support this initiative,” he affirmed.
“As a constituency, we also line up to apply for land to be
productive. What we are against is selling land. If the land I fought for is
sold and I can’t access it, that means you and I are going to have a problem,”
Mathibela warned. CITE
0 comments:
Post a Comment