via Biggie Matiza threatens white farmers 05 January 2015
THE newly-appointed Mashonaland East provincial Minister of State, Joel Biggie Matiza, has threatened to evict the remaining white commercial farmers in the province, claiming that they continued to illegally farm through unsanctioned and corrupt deals.
Matiza told the state media that he supports the demands of Zanu PF supporters and war veterans who have recently called for the eviction of the white farmers from the province.
The Zanu PF supporters and war veterans claim that Mashonaland East remains the only province in the country with the highest number of white farmers who were being protected by sacked Mashonaland East Zanu PF provincial chairperson, Ray Kaukonde.
“Currently, I am in the process of establishing the exact number of white farmers who have no right to be on gazetted farms,” said Matiza.
“By end of January, I should be taking action together with the Provincial Lands Committee to quickly bring to sanity the issue of white farmers who have remained on gazetted land through unsanctioned and corrupt linkages,” he said.
Matiza hopes to appease thousands of restless and unemployed youths in the province who have also threatened to take over land from farmers who have been resettled under the controversial land reform programme.
“I intend to dismantle the corrupt architecture in land distribution, and take on board our youths and women. I will also adhere religiously to the 20 percent quota for war veterans in A1 Land Distribution and also consider them for A2 allocations,” Matiza said.
Matiza replaced Simbaneuta Mudarikwa as the resident minister for Mashonaland East. Mudarikwa was dismissed last month for his alleged links to Kaukonde and dismissed Vice President, Joice Mujuru.
Last November, war veterans in Marondera held a demonstration in the town calling for the removal of Kaukonde as the Zanu PF provincial chairperson and during the demonstration also accused the white commercial farmers in the province of fanning factionalism in Zanu PF by giving financial assistance to dismissed Mujuru through Kaukonde.
Mujuru was accused of using the money from the farmers to fund her ambitions to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
After the demonstrations, the remaining white farmers said preparations for this season’s summer cropping had been seriously hampered as there was uncertainty.
COMMENTS
This is really smart. The country is short of food, businesses are still folding nationwide, and the country is trying attract foreign investment on the pretext of a law abiding environment – and this is the policy coming out. This guys needs a Ph.D. from the U.Z. He is a genius like Grace. Professor Biggie would be more appropriate. Zimbabwe is so blessed with intellectual giants like Grace and Biggie.
In 2009 I wrote the piece below under the heading:
Could it have been different?
———never test the depth of water with both feet——–oooooooops!
Just over ten years ago the Zimbabwe political scene seemed dull. Except of coarse, for those who were in the thick of it. News wasn’t freely flowing like today, thanks to the internet. Among other news items, there was news of Tsvangirai’s near death experience, at the hands of state agents, on a fifth or seventh floor of a block of offices. At the time it was either the union or the students having tussles with the Zanu government while most of us mere mortals were at our local downing our favourite brew.. But I remember vividly one Saturday lunch time when I switched on the television and the BBC news showed a demonstration in central Harare in which our honourable police were running amok at the demonstrators. A white gentleman had a gash on his forehead and there was blood all over his face.
Immediately after the bulletin I phoned a friend and I told him the whites had made a miscalculation by going on these demonstrations. A few weeks later the farm invasions started. At the time my point was any farmer threatened should have quietly vacated and watch from a distance instead of being a dead hero. One can always live to fight another day. The way I looked at the political situation then was Mugabe had become complacent, corruption was now endemic and the economy was pointing in one direction only, down. It was hard for Mugabe to point a finger at anyone else and the black majority was on his tail. Just like last year when he lost the elections and the MDC rescued him the white participation gave him an excuse and the rest is history, I believed. One has also to bear in mind that in the previous 20 years the whites weren’t an issue to Mugabe. ‘Comrade Bob’, they called him. He had grown to love them, if you get my drift. But the evil genius is vindictive and unforgiving! As a trade unionist and fighting for the working conditions of the workers Tsvangirai became an enemy of both the employers, who were predominantly white, and Zanu who were now enjoying the cream at the top. Zanu were keen for the status quo to remain. I also was of the opinion that, by deciding to go on this path of wanton destruction of the economy’s mainstay, i.e. farming, Zanu’s days in power would be numbered. I even went further and hoped and “prayed” the farmers would quietly and discretely stop or reduce production although this would indeed have given more ammunition to the Zanu thugs. In any case the thugs did win and are still winning and we have never looked back!
I argued this case over months even at the Central London Forum but the majority of the participants pointed out that as a democracy the whites had a right to voice their opinion with regards to the direction the country was taking. Very very true but if one had looked at the history of Mugabe and Zanu one would have realised that the concept of “democracy” to them was a fallacy. The arguments I was articulating then were very controversial but in some ways attractive and I appreciated everyone who stuck to their guns. They said and insisted we should stick to one word. Honesty. Even today Zanu apologists delude themselves by claiming that the MDC was formed by whites for the whites and Tsvangirai was installed leader as a front. Would Zanu have found other excuses? Could it have been different? Probably yes to both questions. But, like many things, for example, football, the result becomes so obvious after the final whistle has gone. Unless of coarse, if one is in a Far East syndicate! Hindsight is always cruel! Maybe, just maybe, things wouldn’t have reached the point where we are today. We will never know but I hope it gives you food for thought.
Simon M Tozvireva.
The arrogant white syndrome. They are a minority and thus not allowed to have a voice in Africa but arrogantly they persist – surreptitious racism. Of course.
I obviously disagree – one person, one voice, one vote – no matter what race, creed, religion or geographical region. I give you tactically it may not be wise as ZanyPF feeds off this but morally it is.
Guti. Best you read your comments before you post them. Embarrassing to see how little sense they make.
No representation without taxation. And no taxation without representation. What a stupid system – everyone has the same vote regardless of their respective contributions to the national purse. Time for a qualified franchise and a QUALIFIED (and literate) legislature / executive.