The Sunday Mail
Zimbabwe’s successful Land Reform Programme is an ideal empowerment model and its success continues to astound many countries, President Mugabe has said.
At the burial of national heroes Cdes Moudy Muzenda and George Rutanhire at the National Heroes Acre in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe said no other victory surpassed reclaiming the land.
“Handifunge kuti kuchaita imwe hondo; Chimurenga chinopfuura chatakaita ichi chenyika, kutora ivhu ranga ratorwa nevarungu vachiti this is Rhodesia rava ravo; vadzika midzi yatakadzupura.
“Ndinofunga kana nanhasi, vese vazhinji vachiri kushama kuti, ‘Ahh, chokwadi makatorera mabhunu angaadzika midzi kudaro? Kuita mazipurazi kwese kwese, makazviita sei?’
“Shamwari dzedu kuSouth Africa vari kuti asi takakanganisa pastruggle yedu. Ndakabvunza mumwe minister kuti, ‘Ko, how come kuti the whites have been left with so much power?’
“Zvikanzi, ‘It was because of your friend (former South African president Nelson) Mandela.’ Mumwe ANC minister ari kudaro.
“Zvikanzi, ‘Your friend, Mandela, ndiye akaita mamistake because akaita insist kuti ndino negotiator ndiri ndega ini. Imi garai ikoko. I will go alone to the negotiations.’
“Ahhhh, uri serious? ‘Yes, you might have been a lawyer, but haungazviite izvozvo and in fact, nyaya yesupport inenge ichidiwa uchiona vanokutsigirawo.’ Ko inga isu tanga taitawo law yacho.”
President Mugabe said land was at the core of the 1979 Lancaster House negotiations as it had been the basis of the First and Second Chimurenga.
“Asi takaenda nedelegation tikati vari kumusha vanga vaita people’s movement, which was supporting us, tumiraiwo kuLancaster vatinogara navo tichiti tikabva kuhurukuro, togara musangano navowo; vese tovaudzawo kuti tasvika pane zvakati nezvakati, zvatabvumirana ndezvizvi; zvatisina kuwirirana ndezvizvi. Imi mune pfungwa dzipi?
“That’s how we negotiated at Lancaster House. We had lawyers with us, although the leaders were Cde Nkomo and myself. We had the discussions, but when we agreed on a position, that is the position we stood by at our own discussions. Ndoo principle zvadzinoreva.
“Yedu nyika — because maBritish vanga vasingafunge kuti tingatore nyika matorero atakaita, vane mabrakes avakanga voedza kuisa. ‘Ahh, tinongokupayi mari shoma-shoma yecompensation.
“Nyangwe veAmerica vakanga vati towedzera. Kuti, ah, we won’t go the length we have gone. Patasvika ipapo hatisati tapedzisa mufunge tiri kuti apa semunhu ari kusakura mumunda kwatasakura kwese uku kupedza wotarira shure woona kwamera sora futi.”
President Mugabe said Zimbabweans should be wary of white farmers who want to return to State-acquired properties under different guises.
“Mabhunu ari kuuya opfekenyedzera nerweseri using all kinds of tactics. ‘Tinokurimirayi. Imi garayi henyu kuHarare. Tokurimirayi, tozogovana kana tazokohwa.
“Ahh, ndakasiya matractor angu pano; handichatora. Unogona kumashandisa hako, asi wondipawo zvakati. Kana usingagone, regera ndokushandisira ini.’ Ndizvo zviri kuitika zvakawanda. Ndomasora andati ari kumerera iwayo. So, let’s stop that and be true to the struggle.”
