Countries across the continent are headhunting the last remaining white commercial farmers in Zimbabwe, the majority of whom are contemplating packing their bags in search of more secure pastures.
Five countries in the region have expressed an interest in welcoming farmers from Zimbabwe.
”It’s regrettable,” said Olivier Hendrik, director of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU). ”We are having many farmers going to show their skills elsewhere; leaving their own country.
”We have had Cameroon coming on board, asking for farmers to go up there; we have been in communication with the Democratic Republic of Congo, they are asking for farmers there; Tanzania is asking for farmers. Malawi, Angola are looking for opportunities, it’s across Africa,” Olivier said.
More than 400 farmers have left the country since 2004, and numbers are likely to increase at the region’s demand. Last week Minister of State for Land Affairs, Flora Buka indicated that the government would extend invitations for white farmers to return to farming. According to press reports, the government is considering granting land to the 600 white farmers left on commercial farms in the country. These reports have been dismissed by the CFU, which said there has been no demonstrable commitment from government that it wants them to stay.
The farmers’ union told the Mail & Guardian that the government had not responded to requests from white farmers for 99-year leases, which it has offered to new black farmers.
Leases were offered to about 120 new farmers, out of more than 200 000, last November. The government believes the 99-year leases will act as collateral for farmers to access loans from banks. The majority of new farmers have not accessed loans and most agricultural land is lying idle as the government battles to finance inputs.
At the same time, evidence of new farmers owning more than one farm is surfacing — violating the principle of one man, one farm. Government spokespeople are contradicting each other about whether the remaining white farmers will ever get their old farms back.
”Didymus Mutasa, the Minister of Land and Land Reform, said white farmers won’t get land, but President Robert Mugabe said they will,” said economist Eric Bloch.
The CFU said there has not been any formal communication from the government, despite persistent reports claiming that some farmers could get their land back. ”There have been reports that one or two farmers have been approached by district administrators, but I do not know of anybody that has gone back to the farm yet,” said Hendrik.
Instead there have been ”continued disruptions”, despite the passing of legislation last year that makes it illegal for people to occupy land or disrupt farming without letters from the Ministry of Lands. ”There are more farm disruptions. People without offer letters are moving in and more farmers are being told to leave,” said Trevor Gifford, vice-president of the CFU.
Addressing clergy in October last year Mugabe said he never wanted all farmers to leave, insisting that black farmers could even learn from former Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith. Mugabe said Smith was an ”excellent farmer”. He also told the Zanu-PF party conference last month that he bemoaned ”greediness,” and ”shameful” people who acquired multiple farms.
Day Muyambo, director of the government-controlled fixed-telephone network, who has two farms in Manicaland province, has moved on to Mashonaland West in search of more land. Title deeds in possession of the M&G reveal that Muyambo owns Dunfyne farm and a coffee estate plantation and has another offer letter from the Ministry of Lands for Dandari Farm in Hurungwe Mashonaland West.
Of the 4 000 white farmers forced off their farms in the past seven years, only 19 have received 99-year leases.