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THERE is no debate that Zanu-PF won last year’s harmonised elections on the strength of its people-oriented policies, even the opposition MDC-T has admitted as much.
But over time it has slowly become evident that not all the cadres in the ruling party are willing to make the sacrifices which the policies demand. We are here talking specifically about Government’s historic land reform programme and the indigenisation and black economic empowerment programmes.

Over the years Government has faced a lot of challenges in getting funding. Local banking institutions have not helped matters by making stringent demands such as collateral, arguing that offer letters issued to land beneficiaries by Government are not bankable.

These have since been amended to 99-year leases which are inheritable within the family.

Still the banks have not loosened their purse strings. As a result, some senior members in Zanu-PF and Government officials have entered deals either with foreign investors with an interest in land or former white commercial farmers in which indigenous farmers form fronts.

The foreign investors and the former white farmers provide resources such as seed and fertiliser and reap all the profits from the land while the rightful owners gets no more than a token payment. Some of these people lied when they applied for land that they had the resources to produce.

Speaking on Tuesday at the opening of the Second session of the Eighth Parliament, President Mugabe complained that a number of people had turned themselves into mere fronts for foreign investors, “thus defeating the fundamental objectives of the indigenisation and economic empowerment programmes”.

While the challenges faced by resettled farmers cannot be denied, what is deplorable is the ease resort to plead for help from the same people who were chased off the land in the spirit of empowering indigenous people. This makes a mockery of the whole exercise.

More depressing is the fact that smallholder and communal farmers make sacrifices because they cannot negotiate deals with foreigners who have money. It is the greedy fellows who have resources and have easy access to contacts who are ready to undermine the objectives of these fundamental policies for cheap gain.

It is these same people who promise white former commercial farmers that they have a chance to reclaim the farms they held once the political dynamics change. They only talk about party policies to the extent that they can provide them with a shield to pursue their agendas. Given the slightest chance such people are prepared to sup with the devil for a few pieces of silver.

President Mugabe warned that measures would be put in place to stop people from fronting for foreign investors and white former commercial farmers.

We believe there is urgent need to go further. There is need for an urgent land and means audit to determine whether resettled farmers are able to use land allocated to them productively. Those who don’t have the means should have their farm sizes reduced.

Those who sublet or are fronting for foreigners should immediately lose the land. There are many landless, indigenous Zimbabweans who have resources and are prepared to invest in the land.

It is embarrassing that Zanu-PF formulates policies which win elections, but some of its senior officials turn around and undermine the same policies. There is need to engage people who have faith in what Government is doing.