Opposition MPs Demand Stands, Farms
Opposition Members of Parliament have threatened to take Government to court for failure to provide them with residential stands.
Southerton MP Peter Moyo (MDC-T) accused Lands ministry officials in most districts of acting like ZANU PF activists and making it difficult for the opposition members to benefit from the land reform programme.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Moyo accused the land officers of politicising land allocation. He said:
The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement should take proactive action pertaining to the land redistribution.
We do not want a situation whereby we have the mentality of the G40 scenario where opposition members were denied land in their motherland.
I am saying, we have applied for land in different districts as the opposition and they have not responded to our applications.
…lands officers must be professionals. Those people are party activists, they are denying us. Why is the land being politicised?
This is despite the refusal by MDC members to participate in the land redistribution programme at the turn of the century.
Responding to Moyo, Lands minister Anxious Masuka said there was no policy that discriminated along political party lines. He said:
Certainly, there are issues of clarification that are required. The application form, in our view, is fairly straightforward and does not request one to indicate their political affiliation.
Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) threatened to sue the government for failure to meet its side of the bargain in the allocation of residential stands to MPs as per contractual agreement. Said Mliswa:
You must respect contracts in this country as a government. It cannot be a government that does not respect contracts. It is a contractual obligation that must be met by the State.
So, within seven days, speak to the (Local Government and Public Works) minister (July Moyo) and say that I am sending you to court and I cannot be expelled from any party by the way.
This does not put you in good light with the public when you cannot honour Honourable MPs.
