Former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, at the launch of his book “Ideas and Solutions,” stated that the divorce case of Robert Mugabe’s daughter, Bona, revealed how the ruling elite had looted Zimbabwe, leading to its economic collapse.
Mutambara highlighted that Bona owned numerous properties, including 21 farms, and questioned how many farms Robert Mugabe, his two sons, the Vice-President, and other ministers owned. He said:
If Bona Mugabe has 21 farms, how about her father? You should ask yourself how many farms does the late President Robert Mugabe and his other two sons have?
How many do you think the Vice-President and other ministers have?
Court records showed that Bona and her estranged husband, Simba Chikore, owned vast swathes of land, an $8 million mansion in Dubai, and a fleet of luxury cars.
Zimbabwe’s “one-man one-farm” policy
The “one-man one-farm” policy in Zimbabwe is a land reform program that seeks to ensure that each farmer owns only one farm to address the issue of land ownership inequality. The policy was implemented in response to the concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few individuals, mostly white commercial farmers, during colonial and post-independence periods. Under this policy, the government has been redistributing land from those with multiple farms to landless peasants and small-scale farmers, with the aim of promoting equitable distribution of land resources.
There have been reports of violations of the “one-man one-farm” policy, particularly during the tenure of former President Robert Mugabe. Some individuals, including members of Mugabe’s inner circle, were found to have acquired multiple farms, while others were evicted from their land without due process. These actions were criticised for undermining the goal of the land reform program to promote equitable distribution of land resources and redress past injustices. The current government has also been accused of selectively enforcing the policy and allowing some individuals to hold multiple farms.
Effects of multiple-farm ownership
Reports indicate that some farms acquired during Zimbabwe’s land reform program remain underutilised due to a lack of resources and skills among beneficiaries. This has resulted in reduced agricultural productivity and food shortages despite Zimbabwe’s potential as a major agricultural producer.