Johannesburg – The Zimbabwean Communist Party (ZCP) has lashed out at President Emmerson Mnangangwa's administration after it signed a R61 billion agreement to compensate white farmers for what the government termed as ‘improvements on the land’.
The ZCP’s view comes as the government has cracked down on protesters who have been angered by alleged corruption in the government and the Zimbabwean's weakened economy.
Over the last few days, the police have arrested political activists, journalists and trade union leaders.
Ngqabutho Mabhena, the ZCP general secretary, said that these “improvements on the land“ had been paid for by underpaid and abused farmworkers.
“The ZCP will do its utmost to prevent this from happening. The signing of this agreement is a betrayal of the many sons and daughters of the soil who paid the ultimate price for our independence," Mabhena said.
“The dubious former liberation movement has now become the stooge of imperialist forces. Our struggle is against both imperialism and looters.
“It seems that Zanu-(PF) is now competing with MDC Alliance as to which organisation can grovel most to imperialism, while the MDC Alliance is now competing with Zanu-(PF), at least at local authority level, as to which party is better at looting."
According to Mabhena, there is little ideological or practical policy difference between the two parties and that this has been demonstrated by “the amazingly similar neo-liberal election manifestos presented to the public at the time of the 2018 elections”.
“Victims of the Gukurahundi genocide have not been compensated. Victims of Murabatsvina in 2005, the destruction of the houses of the poor, have not been compensated, but this regime wants to compensate former white farmers, most of whom are no longer in Zimbabwe.
“We would understand if money was allocated to support local farmers, both black and white, who are resident in Zimbabwe as we approach the farming season,” Mabhena said.
The EFF also questioned the Zimbabwean government for compensating white former landowners.
“Instead of providing logic for this regression on land reform, Zanu-PF party leaders have gone on a tirade that simply confirms their decision comes as a result of succumbing to political pressure and a lack of understanding of the revolutionary history of Zimbabwe.
“The Zimbabwean government, which is currently engaged in the torturing, incarceration, sexual assault and victimisation of protesters, has no moral authority or standing to claim to speak on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe,” said EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo.
He said that the Zimbabwean government, which was “compensating land thieves” for land which had been acquired through a revolutionary process, has declared Zimbabweans enemies through the deployment of the military to suppress genuine protests.
Political Bureau