Mutinhiri on collision course with MDC-T over land invasions
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Outspoken former Zanu (PF) top member, Tracy Mutinhiri, has signalled a
dramatic departure from the position of her new party, MDC-T, over the land
“reform” programme.
14.11.12
by Tawanda Majoni
In an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean, Mutinhiri did not mince her
words about her support for the fast track land redistribution programme
launched by President Robert Mugabe in 2000.
The programme, which Mugabe and his party claimed was meant to empower
thousands of land-hungry Zimbabweans, forced close to 5,000 commercial white
farmers and hundreds of thousands of workers off their land without
compensation, attracting local and international condemnation for flagrant
violation of property and human rights.
Mutinhiri, who was expelled from Zanu (PF) last year on allegations of
siding with MDC-T, where she is now a national organizing advisor, described
the violent takeover “history repeating itself”.
“When the whites invaded Zimbabwe, no-one talked about property or human
rights. They forcibly took over our land. So, when blacks decided that
enough was enough and reclaimed their farmland from the whites, it was a
case of justice taking its own course,” she said.
“It is no use arguing against it on the basis that it was violent. How many
people did (Ian) Smith kill during the liberation struggle? There comes a
time when you have to adopt extreme measures to bring justice back,” she
added.
She said the takeover of farms was precipitated by the failure of the
willing buyer-willing seller model of land transfer that was adopted from
independence to 1999, accusing whites of frustrating smooth farmland
redistribution.
Mutinhiri still owns the farm she grabbed from Douglas Cartwright in the
early days of land “reform”, insisting that she acquired it legally. Before
her expulsion, Zanu (PF) unsuccessfully tried to take the farm away from
her.
“I am still on the farm and have no regrets about it. I acquired it legally,
when I applied to the government and was given an offer letter. Everything
was above board because I was given the farm in accordance with the law of
the land,” she said.
She said that even though MDC-T supported land reform, there was need for
the party to accept that the programme begun in 2000 was meant to address
historical imbalances.
Under the Global Political Agreement land reform is recognised as
irreversible. But Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC-T national spokesperson, said:
“Our position in MDC has not changed. The invasion of farms during the land
reform programme was done through illegal means and there is no way we will
embrace lawlessness.”
He said no member of MDC-T owned a farm taken under the land “reform”
programme, adding: “Mutinhiri got it when she was in Zanu (PF) and it is up
to her how to deal with the issue of that farm”.