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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected] 

ZANU-PF has said law enforcement agents should go after the “big fish” land barons who have made millions of dollars through selling State land which is against the Government and the ruling party’s land redistribution programme.

Zanu-PF Secretary General Dr Obert Mpofu said this yesterday on the sidelines of the party’s victory celebrations held in Umguza’s Ward 12.

Dr Mpofu said the party supports the arrest of land barons as their operations disregard the Government’s resettlement policies.

He, however, noted that there were concerns that the police were targeting villagers who were victims of illegal settlements instead of arresting land barons.

“The party position is that we should target land barons, who in a corrupt manner, started selling land they don’t own. 

“Those who bought land should report the people who sold them the land so that the law enforcement agents deal with those who are selling land illegally,” said Dr Mpofu.

“Most of them have made millions of dollars selling land which they don’t  own. We need to weed out the land barons.” 

Dr Mpofu said he has since asked the authorities in Matabeleland North province to address the issue.

“I have been told even by the provincial police commander that they are targeting land barons. However, what we are seeing is that it is not only the land barons who are being targeted, villagers who are victims, have been arrested,” he said 

Dr Mpofu said Zanu-PF, through its people-centred policies, will not allow members of the public to suffer as a result of a few corrupt officials using their positions to sell State land.

He said members of the public should report individuals who sold them the land.

“No one should buy land in communal areas, but people must follow due processes by approaching the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development if they require land,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said there must be sanity in land distribution while those who violate the law should face punishment.

“The Government is not there to inconvenience  people by displacing them. Zanu-PF has no programme of inconveniencing its people, but it has a programme of resettling its people,” said Dr Mpofu.

“It is those opportunists, who are greedy, corrupt and want to violate the land reform programme. They are doing it using the name of the party, but the party has pronounced itself that people should be allowed to settle in areas that have not been identified by the Government.”

Dr Mpofu urged elected party leaders to serve the people as their power is drawn from those who voted for them.

He said he will closely be working with communities to implement development projects.–@nqotshili