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Blessings Chidakwa Herald Correspondent
President Mnangagwa has called for beneficiaries of the successful Land Reform Programme to optimally use their land to ensure food security.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces made the remarks on Saturday while paying tribute to the country’s founding father Cde Robert Mugabe at a State Funeral at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.

“Allow me to state that, our land reform will never be reversed. It is sacred, complete and finished.

“We remain firm and unshakable on this matter. Now the challenge for us is to be productive as we modernise and mechanise our agriculture processes.

“We must equally use our land sustainably, be it in agriculture, mining or tourism so that we bequeath it to future generations,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the land reform remain was one of Cde Mugabe’s legacies that benefited many people across the country.

“Beyond political independence, he boldly tackled the age-old national question of our land, which had been occupied by settlers for over a century.

“To him, this was ‘the grievances of all grievances’. As a result of his unflinching stance, the land has now been reunited with the people and the people with their land. Today over 365 000 families have benefited from the land reform programme which our revolutionary icon, led from the front,” he said.

Apart from the land issue, President Mnangagwa also said his administration will continue implementing necessary reforms to improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans.

“We will constantly reform and improve our socio-economic and political systems and institutions.

“Putting the interests of our great country first, we will continually reconcile the national and global realities informed and guided by the ever-changing aspirations of our people,” he   said.

President also commended Sadc and the African Union (AU) for supporting the country in its push to have sanctions lifted.

“There is no place in our modern world for unilateral punitive sanctions imposed in pursuit of selfish interests, undue influence and colonial-time expansionism. As we mourn our revolutionary icon, we call for the unconditional and immediate lifting of the sanctions imposed on us.

“We invite the world to work and walk with us into a brighter future for our people, our region and the continent. A Zimbabwe free of the albatross of sanctions is indeed of greater benefit to the world,” he said.