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Mzembi Accuses Political Elite of Profiting from Land Reform

Former Cabinet minister Walter Mzembi has accused Zimbabwe’s political elite of attempting to profit from land acquired at no cost during the country’s fast-track land reform program.

Mzembi’s remarks follow the government’s announcement of a new land transfer model, which he claims will benefit those who acquired vast tracts of land during the early 2000s reforms. Despite the policy of “one-man, one-farm,” politically connected individuals are alleged to hold multiple farms.

In a series of tweets, Mzembi slammed the move, calling it a “sellout” decision led by the Cabinet and President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He quoted Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, agreeing that “corruption is now a security threat.”

Mzembi expressed concern over the “arbitrage and stinking profiteering” by the elite, questioning why this group should be allowed to sell land for which “thousands of comrades paid the ultimate sacrifice” in the fight for a free Zimbabwe.

Mzembi aimed his guns at the elite, asking what they paid for the land, whether they are compensating displaced white farmers, and if they complied with farm size limits. He branded the Cabinet’s decision the “most corrupt since 1980” and warned it could ignite another land revolution if not addressed through audits, valuations, and a referendum.