The Sunday Mail
Levi Mukarati in Bulawayo
Government will continue prioritising the welfare of Chiefs and according them respect as custodians of Zimbabwe’s land and customs, President Mugabe has said.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said this yesterday at the National Council of Chiefs Conference in Bulawayo.
In his address to the country’s traditional leaders, the President also warned “sellout” land reform beneficiaries who are accommodating white former commercial farmers.
President Mugabe said, “Kana ndauya kumadzishe, ndinodupika, ndinova mwana kumadzishe. Ndinova mwana wetsika. Ndinofara kuti takachengetedza tsika dzedu kupfuura nyika dzakawanda muAfrica.
“Hondo yatakarwa yeChimurenga haina kuva hondo yekuti titore nyika yedu, ivhu redu chete; nyika yedu nemasango edu chete. Yakava hondo yekuti tive nemasimba ekuzvitonga, masimba ekuzvitonga, masimba ekuchengetedza mirawo yedu yatinozvitonga nayo.
“Tsika hadziwore. Vanhu tino uya tichifa, tichiora, tichienda. Asi, zvizvarwa nezvizvarwa zvinosara netsika. Saka tichiti kana tauya semapoliticians, tinobva tati tauya zvino kwatinopihwa hunhu sevana veZimbabwe, kune nhaka yedu tose sevana veZimbabwe.
“Saka, kuma chief edu tinoti; rambai makadaro. Hamudzokere shure. You dare not. Customs don’t recede; they will never have that habit. They have a habit of permanence. Imi muri vakuru vetsika.”
President Mugabe said he was aware that some chiefs had not benefited from the Land Reform Programme and Government would rectify that.
He said the recent purchase of vehicles for tradition leaders was part of Government’s resolve to improve their standards of living.
“Tine hurombo kuti pamakore iwaya ndanga ndakuitai varombo vevarombo, musisina chimiro chakanaka. Ndinotenda kuti makataura neveLocal Government vakakupai pfungwa yeHurumende kuti aiwa, tinoda kudzosera chimiro chenyu, kuti muvevanhu vanopihwa rukudzo, kwete chete nevanhu venyu, asi neHurumende zvakare.
“Saka chechiposhi, makati munoda chekufambisa; tikati aiwa, zvakanaka. Vana (Minister of Finance and Economic Development Dr Ignatius) Chombo nevamwe vedu vakabata homwe dzemari vachoona kuti Madzishe apihwa mota dzakasimba, dzine chimiro chakanaka, dzinokwanisa kufambiswa, dzakasimbawo, dzinopa vanamai, madzimai avo kufara kuti varidze mupururu.
Saka, ndinovimba dzichakurumidza kuuya, mopihwa mota idzodzo.”
The President said Government was downsizing farms and would this unlock more land.
“Ndinodawo zvakare kuti imi nesu tione kuti mumatunhu edu ndevapi vanhu vari pasi penyu vasina kupihwa minda. Zvechokwadi toona minister vedu veLands VaMombeshora kuti vobatsirwa sei.
“Vane minda yakakura, 500 hectares, tichadimura; vamwe vane 2 000 vachiti tinoita mombe, mombe ngadzirimirwe sora … Anyway, tinosungirwa kuti patinopihwa kwete kuti nekuti iwe uri mukuru unosungirwa kuwana 2 000 (hectares); hatidi. Say we move you today from that post, uyu ari kuuya achazowanawo 2 000 here? Anyway, iye zvino tinoda kutarisa kuti minda mikuru-kuru ndeipi inosungirwa kudimburwa tipe vamwe zvipiece zvipiece.”
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Regarding land reform beneficiaries who were fronting for white former commercial farmers, President Mugabe said, “Ivhu redu rirambe riri mumaoko edu. Vanenge vagoverwa minda vasafunge kuti vapihwa ivhu. Ivhu haripihwe munhu, rinoyera. Ivhu nderenyika. Iva munhu anoshandisa ivhu chete, mangwana rinopihwawo mumwe.
“Kuti bhunu tarirwisa, tari tanda muno munyika ronzi rakuda kudududza kuuya nenjere; ‘tokupai matractor ekurimisa, tokupai macentre pivot ekudiridzisa. Ahh, tinongoda kukubatsira kurima, garai zvenyu kudhorobha kana muchida; kana takohwa togovana’.
“Aiwa, hapana izvozvo. Kutengesa kwatava kuita kuti nyika itorwe nemabhunu zvakare. Hatidi, hatidi, hatidi! Vari kuzviita vana venyu (vemumatunhu enyu ma chief), vakangopihwa mapurazi, kupihwa mazita chete kuti vatiwo tine mafarm asi vasingagone kumashandisa, vasingade zvakare kumashandisa nekuti vanenge vaine mabasa, vamwe vachomumadhorobha, voti rimai tozogovana mari. Hatidi izvozvo, hatidi kutengesa. Ngazvirege kuitwa.”
Added the President: “Sevenzesai minda. Kana waona usisade kusevenzesa munda iwowo tiudze zviri pachena; kwete kuita chivande uchinzwanana nezibhunu riri kubvakuJohannesburg, radzoka nekuti rakambenge ririmuno ndokusiya magejo nematractor richiti rozowana madzokero.
“Otherwise, iwe nebhunu rako tino kuti hamba! Ehe. Nekuti nyika yakarwirwa. Tinoziva kwatakabva, kushushwa kwaitwa vanhu vedu nemabhunu. Imi Madzishe murangarire, muve neruzivo of the real situation our people went through.
“Iye zvino, bhunu raakuuya sehwai; so humble sekunge vasina zvitadzo zvavakaita. Aiwa, ngavagare kuJohannesburg ikoko.”
President Mugabe thanked chiefs for supporting Command Agriculture.
“Tinotendawo nebasa ramakaita kutsigira Command Agriculture yedu yatakaita strategy ye last year. Vamwe vakanga vachiti hazvimboshanda izvi, mabhunu apa mhiri paZambezi varikuZambia vaiseka vachiti vakatitanda; inzara yoga yoga kuZimbabwe.
“Asi gore rino takavanyaradza; we shut them up. Tiri kuda kupamhidza zvakare gore rino. Tiri kuenda kuLupane nezuro, (Agriculture Minister Joseph) VaMade vakati tiri paairport ndingambotaura nemi here? Ndikati, ah, sure. Zvikanzi zvandaudzwa maererano nezvekumusoro uko ndezvekuti mazuva maviri matatu kuchauya mvura. Ino uya inemabhanan’ana.
“Irikusundwa nemhepo iri kubva Botswana, kuSouth Africa. Ndikati zvakanaka. Ishoko rakanaka ramandiudza. Ehe, heyo hanzi iri kuuya … Yanayaka, isu takabatana semabataniro atakaita last year nevakatitungamirira torimazvakare towana.
“Mose muri kuti matura edu azere; ndonyaya yatisina kufunga tichiti kurima, kurima, kurima; kokukohwa, kukohwa, kukohwa? Nematura azara mochi isa kupi?”
The President continued: “Tanga tisati tasvika pakushandisa chose; hongu chimwe tinogaya sehupfu, chimwe tinogaya chiite stock feed. Hameno shamwari dzedu vazova vakadii kana kwaita nzara ikoko kumusoro kune vechiFrench.
“MaFrancophone, vanaana chibage havavade. Vanoda midzi yavo; cassava ne rice. Taakusungirwa kuita value addition, industrialisation and grow lots of things and export. Ndoopfungwa dzatinadzo dzekuita export, go higher. Zim-Asset says go higher.”
