WAR veterans stand ready to grab all remaining white-owned farms as directed by President Robert Mugabe and have demanded a comprehensive list of underutilised farms countrywide.
CHIEF REPORTER
Matabeleland South war veteran and Zanu PF member Jabulani Phetshu Sibanda told Southern Eye yesterday that all bona fide war veterans should act on Mugabe’s call to grab the few remaining white-owned farms, including wildlife sanctuaries.
Sibanda said as obedient ex-combatants, they would take Mugabe’s calls as an order that has to be followed. Thousands of white farmers were driven off their farms in the early 2000s at the height of the chaotic and often violent land reform programme.
“We have been activated, called to spring into action by Mugabe that all farms still occupied by whites should be taken,” he said.
“We take his statement as a command from our leader and all bona fide war veterans should take heed and act. The land reform has taken years to be completed and the main cause is that it was taken over from the war veterans by the government.
Our aim was to finish off the land reform within a year, but the project was taken over by the government. Mugabe should tell us how much hectarage is needed per each region. We need to finish off this reform soon.”
Sibanda, one of the pioneers and figures in the forefront of land invasions in Matabeleland, said corruption in land distribution had slowed the pace of reform.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The seizure of land from productive white-owned farms is widely blamed for the current economic meltdown the country finds itself in as it decimated agriculture, which was the backbone of the economy.
