The ruling Zanu PF party has issued a stern warning to the beneficiaries of land acquired during the fast-track land reform program at the turn of the century against leasing it as this goes against the principles of black economic empowerment.
Addressing journalists at the party’s weekly press briefing, acting spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa said there was an increase in leasing of land benefited during the land redistribution exercise in most A2 farms, a precedence tantamount to reversing the gains of black economic empowerment.
“Zanu PF is gravely concerned at the emerging trends over land that was acquired and distributed under the land reform program of particular interest is the increasing tendency by beneficiaries of A2 farms to lease out those farms in return for rent,” said Chinamasa.
The Zanu PF government presided over a bloody land redistribution exercise in 2000, grabbing over 11 million hectares of land from the then over 4 000 white commercial farmers and giving it to the black population.
Since reclaiming land, the new black land owners have failed to be productive prompting some to lease it to the white former farmers, Chinese nationals and to some wealthy indigenous people for rent.
“Zanu PF position in line with His Excellency the President E.D Mnangagwa ‘s 2030 vision for better agriculture productivity in agriculture and empowerment of previously disadvantaged black population, participatory joint venture in agriculture should be welcome but such joint ventures should be genuine in the sense that the beneficiary of the land who has entered into the joint venture should be an active participant in such a joint venture in terms of involvement in the activities, management, technical and other aspects of agriculture,”
“The trend that Zanu PF has observed is that there is a reversal of its economic program in the sense that the beneficiaries are renting out the farms outright in return for rent. In the majority of case the beneficiaries do not even reside on the farms. This trend cannot go unchecked as it epitomizes rent seeking behavior of the worst kind. Zanu PF condemns it in the strongest terms,” added Chinamasa.
The firebrand politician said persons are only allowed to charge rent over land which they bought and not land given to them as an instrument of economic empowerment.
The development comes at a time government is seized with identification of idle farms for repossession and downsizing them to ensure intensive production.
Simultaneously, the government is finalizing plans to compensate former white farmers who lost farms during the land reform in a bid to bring closure to the matter which has attracted international attention demanding justice.
