Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe President, Elton Mangoma says the hunger and economic turbulence which the country is experiencing, were choreographed by Zanu PF through the chaotic land reform the Mugabe administration embarked on in 2000.
The former MDC-T deputy treasurer said for the situation to be corrected and for the country to once again become the bread basket of the region, Zimbabwe needs a $200 million National Food security fund.
“This national food security can be achieved through a budget of $200 million and 10% of the land (200 000 hectares) …being put under maize production. Suitable land will be selected and matched with suitable skills to achieve a minimum yield of eight (8) tonnes per hectare. This $200 million will be disbursed as loans through banks,” Mangoma told reporters in Harare Tuesday.
The RDZ leader who publicly said that he was not against the land reform programme, challenged government to compensate former white commercial farmers.
“This will allow us as a country to get assistance from development partners because we would have closed the land dispute amicably,” Mangoma said
“It is unfortunate that Zanu PF wants to see people suffering and it has achieved its goal of impoverishing everyone through this exercise which was haphazardly conducted and remains on the international agenda”.
Mangoma said Zanu PF should stop politicising the land reform.
The country since 2000 when it evicted former white commercial farmers, has been failing to feed its people.
Zimbabwe which was once the bread basket of the regions, is now a basket case which now relies on food hand outs from the same nations it used to feed.