Roundly castigated as a sell-out following a controversial pact with white former commercial farmers, Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made a dramatic u-turn on the contentious land issue, saying the Land Reform Programme is irreversible.
In his opening remarks during the fourth Political Actors’ Dialogue (Polad) principals’ executive plenary meeting at State House in Harare today, the ruling Zanu PF leader said his recent pronouncements on the land issue must not be construed as a reversal of the land reform programme.
After Mnangagwa last week concluded the Global Compensation Deed with white former commercial farmers, various opinion leaders accused the Zimbabwe septuagenarian of seeking to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle and selling out.
“Let me restate that the Land Reform Programme is irreversible,” Mnangagwa told Polad delegates.
“To this end there is no vacillation. The current processes with regards to land issues entail the implementation of provisions of our national Constitution, in particular, section 295 as it relates to black indigenous Zimbabwean.I urge all farmers to remain focused on preparing for a successful 2020/2021 season,” he said.
The chaotic land reform programme was initiated during the turn of the 21st century when the country’s former liberation fighters were given the greenlight by deposed dictator Robert Mugabe to eject white former commercial farmers off large tracts of productive land.
The land reform programme birthed a nose-dive to the country’s economic fortunes.
more details to follow…
Zwnews
