As you see our Vice President Hon. Mnangagwa here, he went to war; he is from the Karanga tribe but he did not fight for the Karanga people alone, instead the wholes nation of Zimbabwe to be free. The late Joshua Nkomo who was in ZAPU, fought in the struggle so that the people would get land, so there has to be a professional approach. There is an issue about multiple farm owners, especially in the ZANU PF party where I used to belong. There is a lot of corruption there to an extent that even the people who went to war do not have farms but Cabinet Ministers have two or more. So, we want the Commission to investigate this. In Mashonaland West, I have a record of people who have farms which are registered in the names of their grand children. I was the Vice Chairman of the Land Committee as the Provincial Chairman of the ruling party so, I have the data and I will submit it to the Land Commission.
So, before they start investigating, they should call all the people so that they gather information before they go any further. I think we should come to a point, like in Norton Constituency, Ward 15, there is an issue which the Hon. Minister Mombeshora is aware of that Councilors from ZANU PF think that they have powers to give land, especially Kujekera from Ward 15. People are corrupt so they are selling out land; I am looking at this in line with the principles of the party that they should tell their councilors that they do not have powers to parcel out land. If people want land, they should follow the proper channels from district to province so that the recommendations will be taken to Hon. Minister Mombershora.
I am talking about this Madam Speaker, because it is troubling people, the war veterans. I think the board should make sure that the war veterans get 20% because they are the ones who went to the struggle. It is very important that the war veterans get the 20%, especially this time when the party has thrown them aside. This Board should make sure that the War Veterans are looked after. I am very pained with this because the ruling party has thrown away the war veterans, their lives are in a sorry state. They went to war so that people will get land but up to now they do not have any land. So, the Board should see to it that the war veterans are allocated their 20%.
For investment to get into this country, people should know their future. There should be finality in terms of the tenure. There are no people who invest on land because even ourselves with ‘99’ year leases, we are facing invasions. Our offer letters are not saying anything. The ZANU PF party is even sending the youth to go and harass even those who have left the party like Professor Mutambara. I think the Land Committee should look at this from a professional point of view. There will be no investment that will come into a project which does not have any certainty. This certainty should come in terms of land because if we do not do that we will continue importing maize and we will keep blaming Hon. Made.
The whites who do not have offer letters and lease agreements are getting money from the banks. So, what does it help you? The whites in this country are now on the forefront of farming whilst they do not have any tenure of land. I think the ruling party should be ashamed of this, why then did they chase them away when they are the ones who are farming. They are the ones who are back on the farms, so if you see that this Land Board should review the land policy so that the black people should get land, what is it that is needed? Is it farming or is it ownership – ownership without production or ownership without money, it is not ownership. We need a review. I think even the beneficiaries – I also want to add my voice because you allowed someone to talk about the distribution of inputs.
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