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Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
ECONOMIC control is the control of the means of all our ends, whoever controls the means determines, which ends are to be served.
This is how Zimbabweans managed to get control of all the means of production following the sacrifice made by the heroes who took back the land from the whites since 2000.
All means of production were owned by whites and blacks were just labourers who were meant to work for the whites while all the benefits were taken back to their mother countries.
This is witnessed by the gold reserves owned by whites in Britain, gold which was mined by blacks as slaves.
Our forefathers felt the pain and unfairness and sacrificed their lives for future generations to be able to own the means of production.
The country’s protracted liberation struggle was fought to take back the land where farming and mining was taking place.
Today blacks, including women and youths boast of owning farms and mines which are now being celebrated in honour of the sacrifices made by our heroes, living and departed.
During white minority rule, whites introduced different laws, which were meant to suppress blacks and prevent them from owning any means of production, especially land.
“Land is a unique factor of production in that it is finite as God is not currently creating any more land. Colonialists began their robbery with the Land Apportionment Act, whereby very few white colonialists were given vast tracts of prime land,” said Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Cde Archie Chiponda.
“It barred African land ownership outside the reserves, except in a special freehold purchase area set aside for so-called ‘progressive farmers.’”
The best land was allocated to whites. After the Land Apportionment Act of 1930 came the Native Land Husbandry Act of 1951, which replaced communal land ownership of the indigenous people with private ownership.
“They said eight indivisible acres and five cattle was to be the lot for Africans. Cattle was our capital; they attacked another factor of production. Chiefs no longer distributed land, it was now to be done by their district commissioners.”
Cde Chiponda said Africans were forced to work on bridge, road, and dam construction and those who weren’t in reserve areas had to work in mines and factories.
“The final factor of production, labour, was harnessed for their nefarious intentions. This created a fertile ground for the Second Chimurenga to occur.
“The colonisers eventually realised and abandoned their project and settled for the Land Tenure Act of 1969, which was basically an Apartheid system, however, the die had already been cast,” he said.
“Heroes fought to move the indigenous black population from servitude to self-determination and control of the factors of production, meaning control of our destinies and the ability to move forward as a nation in pursuit of goals in line with our values, traditions, and desires.”
Reversing the legacy of nearly 100 years of colonisation is no small task.
As Zimbabweans look back to 1980, the year when the country attained its independence from British oppression, it would be a mistake to overlook the agonising journey the country has walked through in an effort to reverse the entrenched colonial inequalities on the economic front.
Economic freedom is at the heart of the fierce liberation battles that our heroes fought, whose cap is total ownership of resources by indigenous Zimbabweans.
Outside this achievement, the political independence we boast so much about would be meaningless.
With 43 years in independent Zimbabwe, no doubt a lot has been done to empower the previously disadvantaged masses by creating enabling policy framework that supports the participation of black people in the mainstream economy.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president Mr Denford Mutashu said the country has not only attained political independence, which in many jurisdictions is key but not enough, but economic independence as Zimbabwe is now able to pursue a homegrown trajectory despite the debilitating sanctions imposed in order to curtail progress.
“The robust infrastructure development programs, fiscal and monetary policy aimed towards an upper middle-income economy by 2030 would have remained fallacious if the country was not totally free.
“A US$12 billion mining economy has been realised as astute investors have ignored the negative mantra peddled by Western media to discredit the country’s progress. Zimbabwe has moved mountains in terms of economic development to levels that the region and international markets cannot ignore,” said Mr Mutashu.
“We are the masters of our destiny and not looking back to that regard, all due to economic emancipation accelerated by the Second Republic under the able leadership of President ED Mnangagwa.”
Mr Mutashu said the country boasts of 80 percent locally manufactured goods occupying the country’s shelves propelled by the National Development Strategy 1 and the local content policy pillar.
Yes, the country is facing economic challenges but certainly Zimbabwe is poised for a brighter future that is hinged on total ownership of its resources and participation of locals in the mainstream economy.
“New Parliament, new international airports, dams, roads, lithium mines, gold, and many mines have opened across the country.
“Tourism has become one of the biggest contributors to the fiscus and high-profile names like Richard Branson, Floyd Mayweather Jnr et al have enjoyed Zimbabwe’s tourism aura,” he said.
“Zimbabwe has taken back its land, which is the back bone of economic and political emancipation and is far ahead of many countries in the region on land ownership.”
The historic and successful land reform programme demonstrated Zimbabwe’s unapologetic stance towards empowering its people economically.
Land is a much-coveted resource the world over, no wonder why Rhodesian settlers dispossessed indigenous people of their prime land when they arrived in the country in the 1890s.
In the belly of this land are precious mineral resources whose exploitation determines the development of the global economy at large.
Now Zimbabwe boasts of a well-empowered youth and women as many are now enjoying the fruits of their motherland.
Mines and farms are now owned by young people who have managed to make the nation food secure.
Now, the country is exporting grain to neighbouring countries following a bumper harvest.
Investors are flocking to Zimbabwe to invest in mining and mineral beneficiation as witnessed by the coming in of the largest iron and steel producer Dinson Iron and Steel company in Manhize.
One of the youths, Mr Addington Mpofu said as youths they treasure Heroes Day as the holiday honours heroes who brought economic emancipation of the indigenous people who are now able to participate in different sectors of the economy.
“We continue to celebrate our heroes as they sacrificed their time, their social life, and essentially and most importantly they sacrificed their lives,” said Mr Mpofu.
“As the youths we continue to reap the benefits of what they fought for. So, in terms of economic benefits, the young people of this generation have turned the tyres around as they are the generation owning companies that are constructing roads, clinics, and other infrastructure.”
“This generation owns a huge chunk in the economic sphere, if you go into mining, young people are dominating that space, transport and logistics, digital era and market you find young people and it all started by the heroes whom we are celebrating today.”
Zimbabwe celebrated Heroes Day yesterday, while the country will observe Defence Forces Day today.
Mr Mpofu said: “This Heroes Day is very important particularly for us as young people because we are at a time when the Second Republic is really unlocking the opportunities and unlocking value for the environment which was created by our Heroes.”
Heroes Day is a public holiday set aside on the second Monday of August every year to celebrate Zimbabwe’s gallant heroes and heroines both living and departed who fought the liberation war to free the country from the yoke of white settler rule.
On the other hand, Defence Forces Day is celebrated the following day in honour of the restive efforts by the country’s defence forces in ensuring that peace and tranquillity prevail in the country. — @SikhulekelaniM1
Online Reporter