CFU welcomes debate on land ‘reforms’
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by TREVOR GRUNDY
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 14:50
LONDON – The Director of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), Hendrick
Olivier, has welcomed the idea of an open debate on the successes and
failures associated with the Zanu (PF) land “reforms” that were accompanied
by violence and sometimes murder since 2000.
“I welcome reports by Professor Ian Scoones and his colleagues that there
should be more research into land ownership. I also welcome the idea of an
open debate on these so-called reforms. The CFU is in the process of putting
our own report together and we will release it to everybody in due course,”
said Olivier in a telephone interview.
Earlier, Scoones told The Zimbabwean that the time had come for rounded
debate on the subject of land ownership change.
“This requires presenting the facts from the ground. But there is also a
need for the government, the political parties, the international media,
donors, embassies and so on to engage in the debate more fully. And this is
why the research we’ve just published (Zimbabwe’s Land Reform: Myths and
Realities published by James Currey, London) along with other solid field
research on the impact of land reform – needs to be at the centre of debate.
We want the debate to move ahead based on evidence, on facts, on details and
on information based on research rather than on conjecture,” said Scoones.
His book (co-authored by a team of researchers from the University of
Zimbabwe) was the result of interviews with 400 households (new black
farmers) in Masvingo Province.
Only five percent of those interviewed could be categorized as “cronies”
attached to the ruling party. Scoones said that his team of researchers met
with no official blockage when it came to implementing research programmes
in Masvingo Province and that his work has no political motive or agenda.
Asked about accusations that most of the land taken from (mainly) European
commercial farmers over the last decade is now in the hands of largely
incompetent black “telephone farmers” who live in cities and towns and who
call up their farm managers at weekends to see how things are going, Scoones
replied: “Sure, there were elites who grabbed land … unquestionably…there
are some well-connected elites connected to the part who have multiple
farms, contradicting the official policy on single farm ownership. In
addition, there were others – civil servants, business people who have
gained land. Not necessarily elites by any means – former extension
officers, teachers, small-scale businesspeople and these people have added
new skills, new connections, new entrepreneurial abilities in injecting them
into the new resettlements.”
Olivier said Scoones might not be far off the mark when he says that only
give percent of the “cronies” had befitted in Masvingo. But he added: “Most
of Masvingo Province is very dry and it’s a cattle and wildlife area so not
all the cronies fancy that. They like land that is close to the city centres
because most of them have jobs in the army, civil service, police … and they
live in town, which enables them to pop down to their allocated farms at the
weekend. When you analyse what’s going on in the bigger picture and see what’s
going on with beneficiaries in other parts of the country then it’s a
different situation altogether.”
“There are definitely some new farmers out there with potential. I am not
talking about cronies. I’m talking about genuine people who have applied for
a piece of land. They’ve been given the land but they’ve been given no
assistance or support whatsoever. They’ve been dumped on a farm and told to
get busy. Because of the collateral issue they cannot access any finance.
They’ve got a piece of paper which the minister can review in 24 hours and
say ‘You’re off your farm now!’ and that doesn’t give them any security. I
admit there are some newcomers who could become very good farmers. They need
support and this is where the CFU would like to play a role.” – This debate
will be continued in the next issue. Please send your comments to:
[email protected]