Land rights motion stirs emotions in Zimbabwean Parliament

HARARE – A motion tabled in the Zimbabwean Parliament has reignited the debate on land tenure, with legislators passionately outlining the historical injustices that continue to cast a long shadow over the country’s land ownership.

The motion, presented by Wedza North legislator Itayi Ndudzo, calls for a law that provides “security of tenure to all land, including communal land.”

The most critical aspect of the motion, as highlighted by Ndudzo himself, however, centres on rectifying the wrongs of colonialism and restoring control of ancestral land to the indigenous population.

“Land is an extremely sensitive and emotional issue,” Ndudzo said, while emphasising the need for a cautious approach.

He further delved into Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial past, stating, “Before Zimbabwe was colonised, all the land within the territory… was communally owned by the people of Zimbabwe under the custodianship of their chiefs.”

His argument lies in the forceful dispossession of this land during the scramble for Africa. He paints a vivid picture of this period, citing the Berlin Conference of 1884 where European powers arrogantly carved up the continent.

Ndudzo also details how fraudulent concessions were obtained from local rulers, paving the way for the brutal subjugation of the Zimbabwean people.

“The dispossession of our land was a forcible exercise that was strongly resisted by the natives of this land,” he underlines.

The Zanu-PF MP references the Chimurenga wars, where Zimbabweans fought valiantly to defend their land and traditional tenure system.

Ndudzo describes the Land Apportionment Act of 1930 as a racially segregatory measure that allocated the most fertile land to Europeans, confining the indigenous population to “rocky, infertile, and arid pieces of land.”

Opposition MP Happymore Chidziva joined the debate arguing that granting title deeds is essential for the “fight for the land” to be complete.

Chidziva cited the historical significance of land ownership, stating that the desire for land “led them to battle” against colonialism. He argued that the lack of title deeds leads to land misuse and that the current government’s land reform program has not fulfilled its promises.

Chidziva further asserted that “the fight for the land cannot end” without title deeds. He highlighted the cultural importance of land, stating that ancestral grounds lie within communal lands.

Zanu-PF MP Tafadzwa Mugwadi, however, challenged Chidziva’s use of the word “war” regarding the land issue. Mugwadi argued that such language is misleading and over-dramatic.

While the government implemented a land reform program in the early 2000s, its effectiveness and fairness remains contested.

The motion comes at a time when the lingering effects of colonial land policy continue to be felt in Zimbabwe. The Communal Land Act, seen as a successor to the Tribal Trust Land Act, offers limited rights to the occupants.

Ndudzo’s emphasised the point, stating, “The Africans on the other hand were stripped of all rights and title and were left marooned in rocky places where they could be moved any time.

“The central issue in the execution and prosecution of the Second Chimurenga war was the reclamation of ancestral land.”