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HARARE - Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday warned people invading commercial farms that they were committing theft and would be arrested and prosecuted, appearing to challenge a key feature of President Robert Mugabe's land policies.
The seizure of white-owned farms to give to poor black Zimbabweans has become a controversial but important Mugabe strategy, and his opponents say this has helped to destroy the agriculture sector that was once the backbone of the economy.
Tsvangirai did not say when the arrests would be made but the invasions are coming at a time when farmers are preparing to harvest their summer crops, raising fears of further loss of food in a country where millions rely on humanitarian aid.
Hundreds of white commercial farmers who had survived often violent land seizures by Mugabe's government since 2000 and some black resettled farmers have in the past month reported a rise in incidences of invasions.
"This government is aware that most of the ongoing disruptions of agricultural production, which are being done in the name of the land reform process, are actually acts of theft," Tsvangirai told a meeting of diplomats, civic society and business leaders.
"Those continuing to undertake these activities will be arrested and face justice in the courts. I have tasked the minister of home affairs to ensure that all crimes are acted upon and the perpetrators arrested and charged."
LAND AUDIT PLEDGE
Mugabe's ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change formed a power-sharing government last month and pledged to undertake an audit of the land reform exercise which would see the government taking back land from multiple farm owners and those not fully utilising it.
Thousands of white farmers have fled the country since 2000 and critics say the land reforms were responsible for plunging farm output and accelerated the collapse of the economy, whose recovery is the biggest challenge of the new government.
Tsvangirai said while the government had no money, this would not stop it from pushing through reforms to attract foreign investment, enforcing the rule of law and freeing up the media, all key demands of Western donors.
"Our development agenda should not be held hostage by our significant fiscal restraints. Indeed, implementing these steps that cost nothing will pave the way for our economic growth," Tsvangirai said.
The government has already launched a short economic recovery programme which it says will give greater emphasis to political reforms demanded by Western donors who want a democratic government before pouring in money.
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Chigutiro Chikavangwena
on
30 July, 2010 12:48:03
Postmam
on
30 July, 2010 12:43:29
Qawe laMaqawe
on
29 July, 2010 11:10:51
nxa
on
29 July, 2010 10:21:47
bibi adepoju
on
29 July, 2010 09:54:17
Comments (2 posted):
This article is sending the message that the few elements in the Country want to benefit from the black market that was going on in Harare.they do not want the so called positive signals on the ground...Biti has confirmed he is in high spirit , because he is the Money Men.
Morgan can not tell Civic groups about a Government policy, he is a Member of Parliament and the platform for that was extended to him by the act of Parliament, if ever he announce a Government Policy in public that again shows he is still immature and he does not know how the Government systems operates.
Please note that, l did not say he does not know how the system operates, but l said , If he announced that at a public meeting with diplomats,civic and Business leaders....then there is something wrong with the Prime Minister. He is the head of the Government, the Land issue is a policy issues, and as you are all aware that this is a hybrid Gvt, and it takes two to tangle....
l will quote, "l have tasked the Minister of Home Affairs to insure that all .... are arrested and brought to ..." etc. Maybe he wanted to say Ministers?
Who in particular we have two Ministers of Home Affairs?
Minister maybe he forget that MDC has a Minister who is also co-chairing the same Ministry with ZANU PF.....Do ask please before you bring these articles. McDonald Dziritwe is a well known Journalist and we expected him to have a complete story, so that we wont have questions on certain parts of the article.
CFU writes to Morgan to test if he has powers to have people arrested, but who in particular? you have just said new farm invasion and you have not mentioned names of the people invading farms...
My understanding in in Zimbabwe people do not invade farms, but there is Compulsory acquisition, l guess it depends on word choice......There is a Act of Parliament, that was passed and it need ammending if we are to alter the wording to be used.
MDCs MPs and Senators are the ones among those in Gvt with no farms. l guess the reason why , the CFU wrote that letter to the MDC Leader it is because they want him to come clean, because there are remours that these invassions are not an act of Parliament and it appears most of the Gangs invading farms are MDC Members who want the blame labelled to Gvt and also see if the Police will be summoned(If nothing happens they also stay put on the farms and benefit, but these are late birds all warms are gone....
According to the information from other circles there is no invassion on the ground although , there were rumours that people in the MDC formations are complaining, because they also want Land , since being a Member of Parliament is not a full time job.
Dzirutwe must go back and do his research and bring names of the so called thugs who have fake offer letters.......you will be surprised that if it involves MDC members the truth will not come out......
Mr Prime Minister, get down to business we want food on the Zimbabwean people`s table stop wasting time with CFU.
They can write to the Land Ministry if they have issues with Land. not to the Prime Monster......
Ministers are in charge of these issues and if they can not handle these issues they will refer to the Prime Minister, then it will be tabled in Parliament and only after that a decision will be made to have the Police arrest people. If people were are not arrested during the Land Reform process, you can not expect them to be arrested now , if CFU reports to the Prime Minister and not to the Minister who will instruct the Police, if a law has been broken.
CUF must be educated that the role of the Prime Minister is not to save the few member of the CFU, Remember Morgan does not have a farm he still leave in the Tribal and Trust Land (TTL). This was also an act of Parliament during the Smith`s Administration.....
During the Nazi error these were equivalent to the Concetration Camps, but fun enough we love it..... and we still preserve it. President Mugabe went further to develop his Ancestral Allocated land in the Zvimba Tribal and Trust lands(TTLs), into a down town with the Growth point nearby.
Chiyangwa Village could not be left behind, there are a beauty.Let those who want farms whether white ,yellow, black brown, or black , go seek for land in the TTLs.
Farms are everywhere even kwanembudziya, we were forced into these TTLs against our wish... and now we are saying everyone must be free to mix and dine freely, why do not we have to mix in the so called Commercial Farming Zone?
Get them kwaMuzokomba so that they learn about Zimbabwe.....Vano fanira kupinda mumabook emadzisabhuku..No one is special, in America they resisted but gradually there are giving in.....
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