MDC Alliance deputy leader Tendai Biti says former president Robert Mugabe is surely turning in his grave after his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration resorted to reverse the land reform programme.
Biti was speaking during an online address entitled “Unpacking the pandemic of corruption in Zimbabwe.”
“Land has become a major commanding height of corruption, both urban land and rural. Multiple farm owners that were dealt with by the land reform program have now been replaced by multiple leases to white farmers. So in provinces such as Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Manicaland, there is now the return of white capital in the form of serial multiple farm leases who are obviously paying a rent to Zanu PF elites who were allocated this land,” Biti said.
“So for all intents and purposes the land reform program has been reversed and President Mugabe, (may his soul rest in peace) is surely turning in his grave,” he said.
He added: “Part of the looting also involves the $3,5 billion agreement to compensated white farmers. In principle, it’s a constitutional obligation to compensate white farmers for improvements so no one can quarrel about that constitutional obligation. The problem however is that contrary to the provision of the constitution, parliament did not approve the methodology and the amount and parliament does not know the beneficiaries. It also does not even know which farmer is going to get what. So as usual this huge US$3,5 billion is going to end up with the Zanu PF elites who have been looting our county.”
Last year President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that the nation will pay US$3,5 billion in compensation to white farmers whose land was expropriation by government in the chaotic post-millennium land reform programme.
