Everybody must be covered in the offer letter. People must be protected because a farm is not a shoe that belongs to me alone. It belongs to the whole family. It belongs to my kids and it belongs to everybody. Now, we are issuing out offer letters in the name of one person. When that person dies you see many people coming and everybody wanting to claim the land.
We want to protect our people, family institutions must be protected and let us get a leaf from the Indians. When they build a house- first floor, second floor, they are all there and when they eat curry they all eat curry from first floor to third floor. So, the family institution must be protected on the farm. The names must be there. The Lands Commission must get birth certificates and must keep the data of the farms. It must not be something new to say we only heard this name. It must be protected.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I was once a Minister of State responsible for Mashonaland East. Resettlement Officers must not assume false powers like what they assume these days. When they get to farms, people start saying mashefu auya. No, they are there; they are just officers providing a service. We must also empower our people and we must educate our people that these pieces of land belong to them. It is our responsibility especially Hon. Members to go out and educate our people on the importance of land.
Africa is where it is today because we do not consolidate the family institution. At the end of the day, you go out and see that after the death of somebody, people are suffering; things have been sold.
So, Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the Hon. Minister for bringing the Land Commission Bill and it has my 100% support. By the way, I come from Uzumba Constituency which has got more votes than any other Hon. Member in this august House.
So my voice is louder and clear and has more dignity, more support than any other Hon. Member. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
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