Commercial Farmers’ Union of Zimbabwe
Congress 2010
MIDLANDS REPORT TO CONGRESS 2010
In years gone by my annual report would have been based around the varied aspects of mixed farming that comprises our region here in the Midlands.
It would contain detailed information regarding increased crop production that we achieved, it would contain higher live stock calving percentages that we had achieved, horticulture would reflect increased export figures, poultry and pig producers would be considering further expansion to cope with increased demand as would small and medium scale vegetable growers.
CFU would be feverishly pumping out the latest information to assist us all with our various requests regarding increasing production, and how best to finance our expansion plans, and we as farmers would be ensuring our membership was up to date in readiness for the various up-coming elections.
Regional and FA meetings would be well attended by farmers voicing with pride and confidence their predictions for the coming season, some with a touch of arrogance but given their collective results from the previous seasons labour they could be forgiven.
This collective band of dedicated farmers would rush to attend congress to wallow in the glory of their achievements and to hear their elected presidium praise their efforts and emphatically announce that the coming year will be even better.
Congress to the farmer is that once a year special event, the equivalent of the Grammies to an artist and given the remoteness and singular dedication that farmers and farmers wives have to contend with, congress was also the once a year opportunity to catch up with all the news from far flung areas of the country.
Unfortunately that was all in the past, my first year as your chairman bears little or no relationship to those previous events likewise for our previous chairman during the last 10 or so years.
What we as farmers have had to endure since the introduction of farm invasions is beyond a normal persons comprehension. We have been marginalized, dehumanized and politicized.
Our farms have been systematically destroyed our homes have been trashed our workers were evicted and thrown onto the unemployment scrap heap, our livelihoods have ceased, our industry which was the pride of the continent eradicated leaving the nation starving and in chaos.
We tend to generalize regarding the legal system not functioning, the breakdown of law and order, Zesa and Zinwa ripping the system, payments to NEC unions and back pay for labour all of which we have to contend with, but on closer investigation these unfair and often illegal practices apply only to us farmers, many of these issues do not form part of the remainder of the community or business sector’s everyday life.
All of this because we are deemed the enemy of a chosen few.
Yet regardless of this continued oppression we are still here! We may have varied reasons for being here but the fact remains we are, and I believe this to be the single most important thing in our favour and the straw that will eventually break the camel’s back.
CFU have never wavered from this position and have and are doing everything in their power to assist us with our goal which is tenure of land, compensation for our losses to date and resuscitation of our industry.
The pressure being applied by your union is coming from all angles, from SADC, from RSA, the international community, and the courts here and in the region and the many successful judgments obtained/ Most court rulings are not being implemented is again a measure of pressure.
No one is more aware of the sense of despair that we are experiencing than our union, and the tremendous effort of the unions electorate to continually come up with ways and means to solve our problems but at times it does appear to members and electorate alike that we are not succeeding.
One of the most difficult issues for us as a union is our constitutional obligations of non political involvement; we are committed to that concept, albeit we find ourselves continually being dragged into the political arena against our will and better judgment.
This issue has been the pivotal point of our council meetings for the past year, on the one hand legal opinion says we have the right to use the judiciary system to contest irregularities within the land acquisition act, but on the other hand some of us believe this procedure is doing us more harm than good.
Regardless of our differing opinions farmers on the ground see no respite from these irregularities and in reality the illegal invasions are increasing.
Therefore a change in direction was needed, but what change, my own view regarding this has always been based on being membership driven, but that in its self causes concerns because we the union cannot deliver what our members want which is to farm without interference now, not sometime in the distant future either.
So a reality check is required by us the farmers, us the members, and the reality is this. Government is committed to the land acquisition act and will and is using every means possible including the very apparatus that should be protecting us from the illegalities that some beneficiaries have adopted.
It would therefore be totally unrealistic to expect our union to achieve what we want, and in trying, will only increases the perception of our involvement politically.
So we as farmers, members or not, have to re think our expectancy levels by understanding the reality of the situation we find ourselves in.
We must also recognise that membership driven does not mean membership financed. and as can be seen from the various projects that I have mentioned our constant debating is producing results in that area.
In conclusion, membership driven has a requirement to fully understand what the member’s expectations are, and deliver, and as members we adopt a realistic expectation that is achievable, then we can all go forward with a degree of positiveness and hope.
Assessment of realistic expectations
•
No authority can guarantee us staying on our farms indefinitely for the foreseeable future unless financially driven.
•
We must therefore except that our present situation whatever it may be is temporary and nothing else, until we take on board the concept of being financially driven and involvement for all.
•
Therefore it would be prudent to have a plan B and a time frame in place in readiness of the inevitable.
•
Your plan B be can be formulated from the list of opportunity’s that the union is offering and assistance and advice is readily available from this office.
•
It may then be possible to delay your removal through the courts or by way of mediation to enable you to expedite plan B, the choice is yours and support is there for either.
Given we all understand the reality of the situation then the union can focus on their member’s requirements with success.
To be membership driven we need to provide a broader quality service to encompass a broader membership base, we also had to recognise the need to take advantage of the changes taking place and those changes are very much donor and financial orientated, with consultants and contractors playing a major role in the future for the benefit of the local population.
I personally believe the real money will be in servicing the agricultural industry rather than in the production of agriculture albeit there will be scope for specialised sections of production and naturally large scale production, but the majority of us with our small to medium operations could well struggle to be viable, therefore it follows we are now going in the right direction which is forward.
Therefore rather than take the attitude of the past that we are the only people that can farm successfully, rather take the view we can make a very good living from servicing and teaching etc until we are either compensated or return to farming.
Paying members must have a value related service making it desirable to belong to the union, it is your union therefore you would want to be a member of your union rather than the union needing you.
Summing up the year then, the earlier frustrations experienced by us all can and are being resolved with this different direction and our new focus, which in turn give us relief and satisfaction. We have got there at last. My satisfaction is many fold we have now taken on board a concept that is more in line with the global village thinking making it easier to deal with them. We are now starting to understand customer care being the member, and most importantly it gives us, who have battled it out for so many years the hope we were desperate for.
Although it will not necessarily give each and every one of us what we would regard as a first choice there should be a variety of opportunity’s within the mixed bag of goodies for us all.
I believe council have achieved what most would consider the impossible and our leadership being the presidium on block have both encouraged open dialogue with regional and commodity chairmen and shown strong leadership to ensure the momentum for our new direction. This will increase and will be very difficult to stop.
Conclusion
I would respectively suggest that this year’s
MISSION STATEMENT
should be
COMPENSTAION AND RESUSITATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.
STRATEGY
•
Membership Driven (or in commercial terms Customer Driven ) to provide the services required to achieve our mission statement
•
Membership Care(or in commercial terms “Customer Care” ) is the key to success, therefore top priority must be a Customer Relations person to handle all members issues, not the various members of existing staff whose expertise are in other fields.
•
Continue opening up negotiating channels with all parties and groups to ensure everyone is aware of our mission.
OBJECTIVE
Increase membership by way of our MISSION STATEMENT
Thank you.
Brian Pearce
(Midlands Chairman)
30 June 2010