After the rejection of the constitution in 2000, Zanu PF got shaken and angry and ordered the self-styled war veterans to invade the predominantly white-owned farms. Sunday Opinion by Zanda Shumba
Owners were driven off the farms violently . . . some were killed and assets were looted. Later, much of the land was claimed through corrupt means by Zanu PF officials, army officers, high ranking police officers, etc. For many, this was a gimmick by Zanu PF to woo voters.
Still, people did not vote for it. However, with Zanu PF government spearheading the 2002 elections, it manipulated the election process and by hook and crook it “won”. In urban areas where MDC had more support, voting was restricted through fewer polling stations and a slow processing of voters.
However, the results of the land reform were and are disappointing. Most of the new farmers don’t have capital, the training or the inclination to farm efficiently.
They now have returned to primitive subsistence farming. Some less literate farmers have either sold some of the farming equipment remaining on the farms and butchered herds of livestock that had taken many years to build.
The ill-conceived land redistribution resulted in the collapse of the whole agro-based economy.
Most firms produced goods and services that were linked directly or indirectly to agriculture.
The industry that produced inputs for agriculture scaled down their operations due to low demand; so was the industry that used to process agricultural output from the farms.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The railroad whose major business was to ferry inputs and produce to and from the farms was also badly affected.
The financial sector was not spared too. The majority of their clients were the original white farmers who used to get loans to support their farming activities. The country’s GDP went down by about 80% as a result.
Many people lost their jobs. The marginally poor were the worst affected.
Our heavily subsidised education suffered a heavy blow as tax revenue decreased. We have witnessed a series of strikes by teachers from 2003 to date.
Zanu PF did not foresee this collapse because of its lack of foresight.
When this collapse was apparent and manifesting itself in untold suffering of the people, President Robert Mugabe began using sanctions as a scapegoat for his party’s mistakes.
It is apparent to all that the ill-planned land acquisition and redistribution coupled with mismanagement and corruption is what crippled the economy.
The only real sanctions we know are travel bans imposed on Mugabe and his cronies. In the 2008 elections which were heavily marred by violence, Zanu PF raped the people’s will again, first by withholding election results and later by Mugabe contesting and winning a solo election in the bloody runoff after Tsvangirai withdrew citing violence.
Mugabe, through his propaganda machines, forced MDC to cower into the dysfunctional inclusive government.
It also seems like South Africa (SA), the mediator, is not so keen to solve the Zimbabwean issue. The collapse of the Zimbabwean economy leads to growth of the South African economy. We buy most of our goods from SA and most of our people have migrated there to seek political or economic refuge.
Recently SA deported some 43 000 Zimbabweans. We think SA should bear the consequences of its reluctance to resolve the Zimbabwean issue expeditiously. SA can stand up to the task but clearly its leadership is not keen to resolve the issue for reasons better known to themselves.
So we will remember the current leadership of SA as ones who were in a position to offer help to the people of Zimbabwe at a time when help was needed most…but didn’t.
Now the constitution has been made without contribution of the people. Still people are being urged to vote “yes”. Zanu PF should learn from the past that it once tried in 2000 to force a constitution down the people’s throat, to no avail.
What guarantee do we have now that Zanu PF can uphold a constitution, old or new?
Zimbabwe has a lot of potential for economic growth and to achieve a higher standard of living for its people. Only Zanu PF and Mugabe stand in the way for people to achieve full prosperity. Zanu PF has no one to blame for the chaos in the country except itself. Zanu PF is now a liability to the Zimbabwean people. So Zanu PF should never talk about democracy.
Now the end result is that people are disunited but are faced with a total system failure. People have been intimidated by the ruling party’s repressive machine (army, police and the CIO) and are scared to protest, yet Zanu PF sarcastically label the people resilient. It’s now a dog eating dog situation.
