By Cde A Marambwa – Zanu PF (UK) Yorkshire Branch PC
(News of The South) – Britain under the Labour leadership of Prime Minister Tony Blair, reneged to honour the Lancaster House Agreement 1979 to fund Zimbabwe Watershed Land Reform Programme Compensation Scheme to white settler farmers. This pact signed on 21st December 1979 under the British Conservative Government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher agreed to an equitable compensation in the distribution of farmland. The signatories on behalf of UK was Lord Carrington whereas for Zimbabwe present were the late former President Cde Mr R.G Mugabe and the late VP Cde Mr J M Nkomo.
The Land Reform model was the best modus vivendi taking cognisant of logistically issues, funding and situation obtaining on the ground. Zimbabwe gained its historic independence from white-minority rule in 1980. Land reform was focused on redistributing white-owned land to black farmers, to correct colonial wrongs. Initially, it was on willing buyer, willing seller basis but Britain reneged to pay compensation to white settlers for land seized from African people during the colonial period. It must be noted that bilateral disagreements
Later on compensation funding created bilateral disagreements between Zimbabwe and Britain which resulted in the imposition of ZIMBABWE DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT (ZIDERA) 2001 by America and EU sanctions in 2002 to Zimbabwe.
The majority of arable land in Zimbabwe was occupied by 4000 white settler farmers depriving and suffocating the black majority population. The pace of land redistribution was slow. This flared up tempers on black farmers who were marginalised, mostly farming in rocky unfertile soils resultingly in the Fast Track Reform Programme spearheaded by the Former Liberation Freedom Fighters.
The GoZ gazetted the “Fast-Track Reform Law” that obligated Britain to pay the compensation. In the event Britain does not pay, as per statute GoZ was authorised to seize the land without paying compensation. The statute was later repealed to allow GoZ to pay white settlers whose farms were gazetted for resettlement to be paid funds for (farm improvements) property development.
The Land Reform Farming allocations
(A1 and A2 Models) were never politicised, facts are it was a govt programme purely done on merit basis without bias, favour or political inclinations. Regrettably, the MDC joined in the bandwagon of critics hoping to reverse the Aggrarian Reform programme in the event the Party win elections and forms a government.
Such moves are treacherous to the liberation freedom fighters both dead and living. The protracted liberation war was fought to economically emancipate the povo from the shackles of the imperialist and indigenously empower them to better their livelihoods.
The MDC as puppets of the West decried the programme to the extent of siding with them to get their bread crumbs (dirty money) and reverse the gains of the Zimbabwe Liberation Struggle.
It must be noted that the Zimbabwe Land Reform is irreversible. The GoZ is currently seized with mobilising resources, should funds permit all affected farmers will be fully compensated for farm improvements.
I conclude by quoting the late VP Cde J M Nkomo, “Zimbabwe must be a sovereign republic in which the sovereign nation pursues its own destiny, totally unshackled by any fetters or constraints.”
Cde A Marambwa
Zanu PF (UK) Yorkshire Branch PC
Comments
About Author
