MP says Parliament should vet members of the Land Commission before they are sworn in

MP says Parliament should vet members of the Land Commission before they are sworn in

Chiredzi South legislator Callisto Gwanetsa says Parliament should have an oversight role in the selection of suitable candidates for the Land Commission because they have an important role of rectifying the mistakes made during the fast track land reform programme which saw Zimbabwe taking over most of the land from white farmers from 2000 onwards.

“The Commission should be scrutinised especially the members of this Commission, they need to be vetted and scrutinised by members of this august House so that we check on their worthiness to be members of this Land Commission,” Gwanetsa told Parliament in his contribution to the Land Commission Bill debate.

“This Commission should be empowered in such a way that it will rectify all the anomalies which led to the death of the sons and daughters who fought for our soil.  We should make it a point that we correct all the mistakes in the proper manner because if we make mistakes in trying to solve this problem, our great grand children will in future blame us for the poor handling of the land situation.

“When we embarked on the fast tract land reform, we know the mistakes which were done in the process and this happens in any revolution, hence we have to correct all the anomalies and the problems which occurred during that Land Reform Programme.  In other words, we have to look at the personalities of the people who are to be members of this Land Commission.  We also have to look at the criteria used in selecting them.”

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