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Farirai Machivenyika Harare Bureau
VICE President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said the First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe was not donating but simply handing over the various farming implements to the irrigation schemes identified by the government.
The farming equipment was sourced from Brazil under a government to government agreement.
“We’ve equipment which we acquired from Brazil and part of the equipment has arrived. The equipment which has arrived has been allocated to at least eight irrigation schemes in various provinces.
“The First Lady isn’t donating the equipment. She is simply handing over to irrigation schemes identified by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement,” he said.
VP Mnangagwa said this while responding to questions from various MDC legislators on why the First Lady was donating the equipment.
Three irrigation schemes in Matabeleland North, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central have benefited from the farming equipment that includes tractors, planters and fertiliser spreaders among others.
The VP added that the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement was taking advantage of the First Lady’s rallies to hand over the equipment to the irrigation schemes.
Meanwhile, Lands and Rural Resettlement minister Douglas Mombeshora said negotiations with financial institutions were ongoing to ensure that the 99-year leases become bankable.
“We’ve been working with the Bankers’ Association of Zimbabwe who’ve raised concerns with some sections of the leases,” he said.
“It’s work in progress and we hope in the next two to three months we would’ve reached some agreement”.
Mombeshora, however, said the government’s thrust was to protect new farmers from losing their land.
New farmers are failing to access financing from banks due to lack of collateral to secure their loans.
Bunjiwe Mkwananzi