NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUE WORKSHOP ON LAND TENURE AND POLICY IN ZIMBABWE
15 February 2018
________________________________________________________
P.B. Purcell Gilpin: Director CFU
I stand before you as a representative of the Commercial Farmers’ Union, an organisation that is a shadow of its former self. There can be no denying that our institution, which has roots that are over a hundred years old, was built on policies of racial inequality prior to Independence. The lingering result of those inequalities contributed to the rationale for the radical land reform we have gone through in recent years. The marginalisation of indigenous communities and the preferential access to the land in more favourable Agro-ecological zones for whites, left a festering wound long after independence. At the same time, we observe that the consequences of the FTLRP have been exceedingly painful for our constituency and for our former farm employees and it has had a significant effect on the country in economic and social terms.
As a constituency we were not against land reform but it was the process that was so highly contentious.
We would hope that the time has now arrived when we can move forward as Zimbabweans, no longer segregated by definitions that divide and exclude.
As a Union we are committed to the comprehensive recovery of Zimbabwe and will do our best to facilitate this. This does not however mean that we will or indeed feel the necessity to blindly endorse policy or practice in the agriculture sector where we see a better way.
Our success as farmers was built on a firm bundle of rights. We believe for the country to succeed, those rights should be restored and extended to all farmers, without fear or favour.
In around 1982, Prof Gordon Chavanduka, in summarising the findings of the ‘Agricultural Sector Commission’ said: “All farmers should be Commercial Farmers” or words to that effect. I buy that idea and so do most farmers. This categorisation stretches across all scales of operation and is the key to successful economic development of any country.
Alan Savory said:
“Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, banks, university, church or army. Agriculture is the foundation of civilisation and any stable economy.”
I would go further and say that organised agriculture is a key to that. I believe as farmer representatives, our principle responsibility is to deliver a solid and coherent voice for our constituency. A voice of strength and unity that can clearly articulate the needs of farmers if they are to succeed in being the drivers of national economic growth and development.
We are working on this and the recent formation of the Federation of Farmers’ Unions is testament to this, but we need to go much further. Looking back on our own Union’s days of strength, we are reminded that it was built on the economic and financial stability of the large scale farming sector. As commercial farmers, on titled land, we were empowered by a full bundle of rights which included:
· Secure access
· Transferability, a land market and bankability
· Enforceability and accountability.
We were accountable to ourselves as businesses and also to those that were committed to providing the finances we needed. We took responsibility for the risk and whilst banks extended finance and lines of credit to viable programmes, failure to perform and repay debts meant that banks were assured of recouping their lendings and there were always farms for sale. In fact, by the time FTLR started, around 1,300 commercial farms had been purchased by indigenous commercial farmers and almost 60% of all commercial farmland had changed hands since 1980.
These days, we have lost most of the rights and of our historical membership of around 4,500 farmers, only roughly 10% continue to farm – for the most part on down-sized portions of land with perpetual insecurity and fear of eviction without recourse.
The recent move, to offer ‘99 year leases’ to those of them that have ‘Offer letters,’ speaks to a shift by government to improving both security for land and equality as citizens. Though this has yet to be extended to others, we believe that fear by government of a broader inclusion would reverse the improved demographic access to land resulting from reform and prevents a closer look at extending full rights to all farmers. We believe this is unlikely given the fact that many former commercial farmers have died, emigrated or are simply too old to entertain farming again.
Looked at simply: what we have lost in terms of land rights, has not been passed on. Those indigenous farmers who purchased land, have had their rights undermined and banks are wary of supporting them because of the collapse of the market when there is so much ‘free’ land. New farmers have few rights other than access and for that reason, most are insecure and underfunded. A few are reliant on urban collateral but most depend or the government to provide inputs and support on a perennial basis. Many are finding themselves with significant debt. This is not nationally sustainable.
In order to promote production in an environment where skills and consequent yields are sub-optimum, government has resorted to non-economical options such as the current high maize price, as an example, to boost production and food security. Regional price differentials also create the opportunity for arbitrage and corruption, further prejudicing the country. Such subsidies are unsustainable and inevitably land on the tax payer’s back.
In certain instances, such as the tobacco sector, contractors have stepped in and provide up-front finance and inputs as well as the end-market for the crop. Whilst growth and recovery in the sector has been impressive, the famer or man- in- the- middle, is at the mercy of the financier. The former model, that financed commercial farmers, is not open to them because banks are wary. Government is clearly trying to address this with the introduction of long leases. I am sure there will be professional banking and legal views expressed in this forum, but from my brief observation, the new 99-year lease document weighs in at around 3 times the length of Zambia’s equivalent. It seems destined to endure continued debate rather than wholesale up-take. In this context, it is worth noting that around 450 former Zimbabwean farmers moved to Zambia since 2000, and, with the provisions of that lease – which is market driven and transferrable – they have contributed significantly to agricultural sector growth and development.
We note that there have been official statements encouraging them to return to Zimbabwe and invest. However, I suspect that will simply not happen if the rights enjoyed by farmers here are not at least equivalent to those in Zambia or elsewhere.
So where is this going?
The land has been restored to the nation and wrested away from perceived colonial settlers and in the process those ‘settlers’ have become Zimbabwean and dare I say, almost indigenous.
I would say alongside that, the vast majority of the country’s farmers, mostly those still in the communal areas, exist with a limited bundle of land rights. Those resettled are unlikely to become the drivers of growth and development until they are empowered and, at the same time, made accountable for the land they have gained access to. We believe the market should be extended across the whole country with suitable registration and transferrable instruments of tenure, preferably title. Administration should concentrate, not on allocating land but on providing secure, tradable, enforceable land rights that encourage genuine skilled farmers to work and develop the country.
The country cannot afford and neither is it socially acceptable to accommodate those whose claim to land is simply that of entitlement, after all not everyone is a farmer. This needs proper planning and we would suggest that it starts in the communal areas as recommended by Prof Mandi Rukuni in 1994. There, there is no conflict and it would be relatively easy to gain access to the necessary technology and finance as has happened in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Georgia where this process is being done quickly and effectively, empowering millions of farmers.
Compensation for acquired land will indeed assist in unlocking the full potential of former commercial farm areas but will take a huge commitment to resources by both government and international partners. We need to look at a menu of options that is good for Zimbabwe and its citizens in this regard.
In conclusion, with proper registration of tradable instruments of tenure, we get proper value and bankability. With the full support of the rule of law, we get money and economic growth and national recovery and international support and investment.
Thank you.