Mutambara Alleges ZANU PF Officials Acquired Title Deeds For Seized White-owned Farms

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Arthur Mutambara, has claimed that top ZANU PF officials now hold the title deeds to farms they seized from white farmers during the land reform programme. Speaking at the launch of his book, “Ideas and Solutions: In Search of the Elusive Zimbabwean Dream,” Mutambara alleged that the late former President Robert Mugabe lacked faith in the land reform programme and believed it would be challenged by future generations. Mutambara also claimed that Mugabe’s lieutenants acquired title deeds to their farms to protect themselves from future reclamation. He said:

In my book, I also reveal some interesting information. Mugabe did not have faith in the land reform programme. He said to me: ‘Mutambara, this land reform programme will be challenged by future generations.’

Fifty years from now, they will be sitting and saying those guys in the year 2000 parcelled the land among themselves. We were not there, let’s reverse this thing’. Now, if Mugabe was of that mindset, you know what he did, he does not have a 99-year lease, he bought these farms and he had title deeds.

According to Mutambara, the officials purchased the farms from displaced white farmers, who were first driven away before being approached six months later to sell their farms at a fraction of their initial price. Mutambara claimed that the officials were able to pay for the farms by “burning money” during former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono‘s tenure. 

He also bemoaned the closing of democratic space in the country ahead of elections.

During the book launch, Citizen Coalition for Change deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba commented that Arthur Mutambara’s new book presented solutions to address the leadership issue in Zimbabwe. Siziba stated that the book reminded young people that Zimbabwe is not short of ideas, but lacks effective leadership to improve the lives of ordinary people.

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