President charms commercial farmers 

Walter Nyamukondiwa Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has charmed commercial farmers, who yesterday declared their readiness to work with his Government and play their party in building a better Zimbabwe. The farmers who included white farmers who benefited from Government’s land reform programme, however, called for improved security of tenure.

Presenting the commercial farmers’ concerns to President Mnangagwa during a meeting before a star rally in Chinhoyi yesterday, Mr Nick Swanepoel said commercial farmers want to play a part in the country’s development.
“The other thing is could we be included in building Zimbabwe and making Zimbabwe great again.

“We are all greatly excited about the new dispensation that we have been given in this country and I believe it is an opportunity that we cannot lose because we can only blame ourselves if we fail.”

Mr Swanepoel said Government should reserve the agriculture sector for locals, arguing that the country had qualified people to improve the agriculture sector.

In response, President Mnangagwa said everyone should feel free to contribute towards developing the country.
“Everyone should feel that we have a duty to build our new Zimbabwe. On the basis of wherever we are, be it in mining, construction,” he said.

“I differ with you when it comes to reserving agriculture to locals, this is a personal view. As I fly around the country I see underutilised land especially in the Zambezi Valley, Lowveld in Masvingo and parts of Matabeleland North.
“My view is that we should not walk at the pace of our own abilities to build Zimbabwe.”

He added: “My view is that we must leapfrog to catch up with others. To do that we need to bring in new technology, new skills.

“If all that is among us well and good, but if it is not there we need to bring it in.”
He said constraints in the issuance of 99-year leases to give security to those on the farms would soon be addressed.
President Mnangagwa said the land reform was over in terms of land invasions and Government is ceased with downsizing and reclaiming of some farms from multiple owners.

President Mnangagwa recently declared that the honeymoon was over for land barons and illegal settlers that are destabilising commercial agriculture.

“The question of unorganised settlements is a thing of the past. We do not want people who just settle themselves on grazing land, along rivers and so on as we now see even in urban areas . . . unplanned settlements where people just build as they want. That should now belong to the past.”

He said the issue of farm invasions should be a thing of the past and those found on the wrong side of the law will be disappointed when Government moves to address the situation.
“The issue of invasion of farms should be a thing of the past, things have changed.

“Members of Parliament and the party should tell our people wherever.
“If you do not obey the law, you shall be disappointed.

“We are now going to have a system that is perfect, orderly and must benefit those persons as identified by our lands committees.”

He said he had a strong-minded Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement Perrence Shiri, who is unambiguous on what needs to be done to bring order in the agricultural sector.