President Mnangagwa (centre) poses for a photograph with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga (second from left), Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Anxious Masuka (left), Zimplats Chief Executve Officer Alexander Mhembere (second from right), and Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa Chikoka during the launch of Zimplats and Palmline Investments US$15 million community cattle ranching programme, in Mhondoro yesterday. (Pictures by Tawanda Mudimu)

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday warned youths who have been invading farms around the country that they risk the full wrath of the law as the era of such actions is long gone.

Addressing scores of people who gathered at Zimplats mine in Mhondoro-Ngezi yesterday, the President, who is also the Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said any youth who will continue on the lawless path of invading farms will face the music.

“I hear that there are some members of the youth who are invading farms, please desist or you will regret it, we don’t want chaos in the Second Republic. I have heard your pleas for land, the Minister (of Lands) came to me and I told him to set aside 500 hectares in each province for the benefit of young people and we are looking for the land to give to the youths, we will assist them with inputs such as tractors and pivots. We don’t want lawlessness, the time for invasions is long past. Tomorrow, I will meet young people who I will give 500 cattle each province, we will always support the youth as long as they behave within the law,” he said.

The President said the historic land reform programme that redressed colonial land imbalances at the turn of the millennium is in the past and now the nation is focused on production in a peaceful country.

“We hear that young people are interested in agriculture and we will support them in an orderly manner, not the chaotic manner we hear,” the President said.

He added that youth and women should claim their market share in the lucrative agriculture sector, which yesterday received a boost after Zimplats in partnership with Palmline Holdings launched a US$15 million cattle ranching project in Mhondoro Ngezi which will benefit local communities.

“This investment should, thus, serve as motivation to existing livestock and dairy farmers to scale up their operations. It should also give impetus to further opening up of the sector to other players, including small-scale farmers, the youth, and women who should claim their market share and improve their production methods,” he said.