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(HERALD) Land Reform: Defending Zimbabwe’s sovereignty The Chimurenga Protocol

Land Reform: Defending Zimbabwe’s sovereignty The Chimurenga Protocol
By Nyaradzo Mutizira-Nondo

Published by Botshelo Publishing 244 pages. Reviewed by Fanuel Kangondo How can any indigenous people call themselves sovereign if they do not own the land that they live on?

Published by Botshelo Publishing 244 pages.
Reviewed by Fanuel Kangondo

How can any indigenous people call themselves sovereign if they do not own the land that they live on? In a captivating narrative in The Chimurenga Protocol, Caleb Nyaradzo Mutizira-Nondo traces the origins of the struggle for land in Zimbabwe beginning with the First Chimurenga through to the Third Chimurenga.

Beginning with the racist-inspired arrival of the Pioneer Column on Zimbabwean soil in 1890 under the auspices of the British South Africa Company, he explains the heroic passage of the Land Acquisition Act of 2000 that unequivocally restored both land and dignity to the indigenous Zimbabwean citizens.

The book is a factual narrative based on true events in Zimbabwe’s history and is a must-read for anyone who dares understand the treachery of former colonial power Great Britain in abrogating its commitment to fund land resettlement in independent Zimbabwe.

From Cecil John Rhodes’ invasion of territories beyond the Limpopo River, the passage of the Land Apportionment Act in Southern Rhodesia and ultimately Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, the book brings into context the obligations of Britain to fund the country’s land reform programme.

It explains the unprecedented move in late 1997 by Britain through junior minister Claire Short stating to Harare that forthwith, Britain felt that it was not legally obliged to pay for the costs of land resettlement. Yet this commitment was agreed on at the conclusion of the Lancaster House Constitutional talks in the British capital London in 1979, which culminated in Zimbabwe’s independence the following year.

Considering that land was at the core of Zimbabwe’s struggle for independence, Whitehall willfully departed from the letter and spirit of the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. This shameless contravention of colonial responsibilities by Britain brought to the fore its double standards, lies and hypocrisy which have become the hallmark of Anglo-Saxon foreign policy around the world.

The Chimurenga Protocol unveils the former colonial power’s axis of imperialism designed to undermine the sovereignty of the young independent Republic of Zimbabwe. In many circles, Zimbabwe’s land reform programme has been grossly misunderstood by many who choose not to take time to understand the underlying factors behind this noble initiative designed to empower the indigenous people of this country whose birthright they have been denied over a long period of time.

The book is centred on a top ranking adviser to the Ministry of Land Reclamation, Hamandishe Chamunorwa who has disappeared with a top-secret document. An operation code-named Mwana Wevhu is launched aimed at retrieving the document as well as find Chamunorwa who intends to hand over the document to British officials. Detective Inspector Panashe Magura leads the investigation whose trail for Chamunorwa takes him from Mutare’s Christmas Pass, to the port city of Durban and the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong in the Far East. The long search culminates in the death of the victim at the mighty Victoria Falls just as the authorities were closing in on the fugitive.

The startling spectacle of the book, however, is the historical aspects surrounding the land issue and for that it gains top marks for putting into perspective the victory of Zimbabwe’s visionary leadership over the decaying forces of imperialism as represented by London and Washington.

For the uninitiated, The Chimurenga Protocol also helps readers understand the imposition of illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe as well as advancement of the illegal regime change agenda by Britain and her Western allies. In the foreword the author notes: "It is clear that at the core of British foreign policy towards Zimbabwe lies a double helix of deception and blatant hypocrisy. "Indeed, Britain claims to champion the alleviation of poverty in the Third World. In the same breath, however, the former colonial power has set out to impoverish the sovereign state of Zimbabwe with astonishing ruthlessness and extreme cynicism. "British and American efforts to derail the land reform process in Zimbabwe have failed spectacularly, at the expense of the ordinary indigenous citizens of Zimbabwe. "Their ongoing tactics to undermine Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and to effect regime change are a futile and desperate effort to reverse the people’s gains . . .

For patriotic Zimbabweans, the new cry of victory is "Nyika yava yedu", courtesy of our committed President. Thanks to the visionary, committed and patriotic political leadership of Zimbabwe, "there is no going back on land reform".

l Nyaradzo Mtizira-Nondo is a general medical practitioner and author/publisher based in Botswana. He established a publishing company, Botshelo Publishing, in 2003 as his own consultancy venture, producing publications for various audiences. In addition to The Chimurenga Protocol, he has written four books on HIV and Aids. His two fictional books deal with the subjects of stigma, the importance of voluntary testing and the need for behavioural change.

Labels: LAND REFORM

posted by MrK @ 1:30 AM