Thread by @ProfJNMoyo

#ZimAt40
I'm proud to have led the Initiative to mobilize & popularize support for the historic land reform programme through a media outreach that eschewed & replaced the jambanja approach that some had preferred & used. Our Initiative birthed the 75% local content media-policy!

I stand by this with no apology whatsoever. I realise some disagree vehemently. I respect their right to disagree but I strongly disagree with them too; not only as my right but also because I know that the majority of Zimbabweans supported & support the land reform programme!

In life one must stand for something. For me the land reform
programme is a bottom line. It was a necessary fulfillment of a key goal of Independence. But it was wrong to do it in a violent jambanja way; that's why we initiated the media outreach programme with clear messages!

I deeply regret that the historic and irreversible land redistribution programme has not translated into the kind of agrarian reform that it should be; especially in terms of food security & agro-exports. The new farmers have not gotten the support they need from government!

While new farmers still have some way to go, and I know they'll get there with proper govt support, I'm proud that Zim artists have used the policy instruments we created for 75% local content & duty-free for music equipment to scale the heights & blossom. Their future is bright!

There are now a number of authoritative studies on the success of Zim's land reform programme. One of the best is this book, "Zimbabwe Takes Back its Land" by Joseph Hanlon & others. It's a must read for anyone who wants to be knowledgeable about an important public policy issue!

THE HISTORIC LAND REFORM PROGRAMME is arguably the only Zim policy that no politician, no political party & no army can reverse or undo & live to see another day without facing an instant uprising. The programme is here to stay subject to sorting out tenure & productivity issues!