(HERALD) Criticism of black farmers misplaced

Criticism of black farmers misplaced

EDITOR — I am responding to an analysis by Elita Chikwati (The Herald, May 6, 2009) in which she describes those with land but not "utilising" it as in the wrong business.

I am a 63-year-old war veteran farmer who only got land in 2003 under the Zanu-PF-led Government-inspired Land Reform Programme, which the inclusive Government has just endorsed as irreversible.

I am against this notion or perception that black farmers who got land under this land redistribution programme are in the wrong business if they are not producing.

We need serious analysis of what we mean by "not producing".

Remember that almost all the estates that were acquired by Government for redistribution were subdivided into many plots.

Most of these new subdivisions are on virgin land that was never tilled or "utilised" by the white former owners.

In cases where these are not being "utilised", the reason could be that there are absentee landlords who thought being allocated a farm meant getting a farm house and thereafter retreated. What then is Government doing about that land when some are still landless?

Another reason is that those plots with no activity taking place could be under controversy due to double allocations resulting from bureaucracy where more than one offer letter is issued to different beneficiaries.

However, the biggest problem is that Government does not move with enough pace when it comes to the issuance of offer letters resulting in some plots going for years with no takers.

I am actually surprised that a number of white farmers got offer letters ahead of many black farmers resulting in chaos on the farms as we thought the white settlers had come back to reclaim what had been legally acquired by Government.

Right now the perception on some farms is that those black beneficiaries who had not received their offers letters are on their way out to pave way for white former owners, especially with the Prime Minister issuing arrest warnings to "land invaders".

It is baffling for Chikwati to think that we are in the wrong business when she as a journalist is failing to present our own case for Government’s attention.

Does Government want us to go to court like the white farmers so that it processes offer letters with necessary haste?

In terms of financial aid, we have so many companies who deliberately downed tools last year and before in solidarity with those who were campaigning for regime change in Zimbabwe.

Some of these companies are the same that are getting priority from the Ministry of Finance to benefit from the credit lines opened by African states as reported by the Herald Business of May 6.

In other words, farmers are nowhere near "critical" firms.

But to the contrary, even Malawi, whose black communal farmers are not in danger of being put under sanctions, are buying heavily subsidised fertilizer at 500 kwacha (about US$5) per 50kg bag.

Why can’t that be done here so that we access the necessary inputs on time?

We do not want inputs for free, but they must be readily available and affordable the same way they were before land was transferred to black farmers.

The RBZ was the only financial institution which showed concern through the Farm Mechanisation Programme where for the first time black farmers enjoyed technical support to actively participate in agriculture.

Which bank today is prepared to give me, a war vet, a loan to improve activities on my farm?

And to prove that even the national media do not seem to understand the whole issue, we see them lapping when some people pass sloppy statements against Dr Gono’s efforts.

Who does not know that Dr Gono was merely busting sanctions that were advocated by those who want the heads of black farmers today?

The war is not yet over and it is important for the media not to get carried away and lopsidedly lambast black farmers like that.

The only way to bust sanctions is to make sure farmers fairly get inputs.

Do not mystify farming as if we ever got free inputs other than the three years during which our own brothers advocated the death of black farmers just because they sympathised with those white former farmers.

After all, it is the obligation of Government to ensure the nation is fed. The Government must make sure farming implements are unquestionably available.

It has been done in Malawi and that is how the communal farmers there ended up feeding us here last year.

I, however, would like to thank Chikwati for inciting this debate and being objective on some points like that of banks demanding repayment of loans after only three months when it takes the tomato crop five months to mature.

Cde Jairos Tapfuma.
Marondera.