 |
| The Dongo List |
|
|
|
The Dongo List was given by the government, from its own records, in answer to a Parliamentary Question by Margaret Dongo, who was one of only three opposition MP’s in the last Parliament. She lost her seat in the June elections. The list shows some of the farms bought by the government from commercial farmers on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, and gives some indication of how agricultural land intended for resettlement by peasant farmers has instead been allocated to government and Party supporters. The list was distributed headed by a short message from Margaret Dongo :
Not every person is born to be a farmer. The reason people want land now is because there are very few jobs and people are suffering. The reason there are very few jobs is because our economy is dying. The reason our economy is dying is because of the corruption and mismanagement by Zanu PF. The economy needs to be turned around and jobs will be created by a free market and a healthy economy. We need to attract investors into the country, and they will only come to invest if they see that their investments are safe. If they see property owners being threatened with eviction, they will not come because they will fear that their money and businesses can also be taken away from them.
This is the official list of farm land which was bought to resettle the landless. Look at it and see what has happened to the land.
I appeal to my fellow war veterans not to let your suffering be used by selfish and greedy politicians who caused your suffering. This will not benefit you at the end of the day. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that you have land or jobs, not to use you to create a commotion. The government have used you to fight for independence and they are using you again to hold onto power after twenty years of empty promises. If they get power again they will abuse it to their own benefit again, and you will have nothing again. Comrades, you should stand up and be a watchdog of Parliament. If you do not do this, you will have fought for nothing.”
To download the full list in Xcel format, click here
Note : Information in the ‘Occupation’ column refers to positions held before the June election. Some prominent personalities are highlighted in bold. Lease rates, where they have been assessed, and many have not, are in Z$ (Z$90 = £1 and Z$61 = US$1 on the parallel market, which gives a truer value than the official rate). Inflation is running at over 60% per annum. I hectare (ha) = 10 000 square metres = 2.471 acres.
Comments
- The Battlefields Estate in Kadoma District - some 41 422 ha in extent - has been subdivided into 27 sections, varying in size from 923 ha to 2101 ha. The rental on these properties had yet to be assessed at the time the Parliamentary Answer was given. Of these 27 subdivisions, none were actually occupied by the lessee at the time of the Answer. Only three were leased to absentee lessees with some apparent agricultural experience - the remaining 24 absentee lessees had no apparent agricultural experience. Mr G Charamba - spokesperson in the President’s Office - leases one of the subdivisions.
- Chisimbi Farm in Lomagundi District is 4 092 ha in extent. It has been subdivided into 4 properties, varying in size from 901 ha to 1122 ha. At the time of the Parliamentary Answer, none of these properties was occupied, and only one of the absentee lessees had any apparent agricultural experience.
- The Coburn Estate in Chegutu District covers a total of 12 822 ha. It has been subdivided into 50 properties varying in size fro 60 ha to 927 ha. Of these 50, only nine are occupied by farmers. A further ten are leased to absentee lessees with some apparent agricultural experience, while another 22 lessees were absent and had no apparent agricultural experience. 8 properties lie vacant. General Zvinavashe of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces leases one of these properties.
- Endeavour Farm in Mhangura District fares slightly better. 1 438 ha in extent, it has been subdivided into ten properties, one of which is occupied by a farmer, and five of which have been leased to absentee lessees with some apparent agricultural experience. Three absentee lessees have no apparent agricultural experience, and one property lies vacant.
- The Marula and Kezi Estates in Bulalima-Mangwe cover a total of 74 398 ha, divided into 48 properties varying in size from 76 ha to 2923 ha. Only one is occupied by a farmer. Twelve absentee lessees have some apparent agricultural experience, while the remainder, all absent, have no apparent agricultural experience.
- The remainder of the list shows a similar situation on other farms - land lying empty and unutilised, and many leased to prominent individuals, including Perence Shiri, head of the Air Force of Zimbabwe, Patrick Chinamasa, prominent Zanu PF legal mind, Border Gezi, former Provincial Governor and now Member of Parliament, Obert Mpofu, Provincial Governor, Charles Utete, Senior Civil Servant, Richard Ndlovu, Welshman Mabhena...the names go on.
|
|
|
|
|
