Speaking
at
a
press
conference
at
the
Bulawayo
Media
Centre
on
Tuesday,
ZNLWVA
Chairperson
Andreas
Ethan
Mathibela
criticised
the
government
for
making
this
decision
without
consulting
the
public
through
a
referendum.
He
believes
the
move
will
benefit
elites
while
sidelining
ordinary
Zimbabweans.
“I
can
guarantee
you,
the
minute
that
pronouncement
was
made,
the
entire
nation,
war
veterans
included,
were
taken
aback.
Society
is
saying,
‘You
people
didn’t
go
to
war
just
to
acquire
land
and
then
sell
it,’”
Mathibela
stated.
He
questioned
the
logic
behind
the
policy,
expressing
concern
for
future
generations.
“Who
are
we
selling
it
to?
What
will
happen
to
our
future
generation
when
we
sell
the
land
that
many
lives
were
lost
fighting
for?
I
hope
society
misunderstood
what
the
government
said,
but
it
was
live
on
television
when
they
made
the
announcement.”
Mathibela
noted
that
Zimbabwe’s
land
is
finite,
stating,
“The
land
will
not
expand
beyond
the
borders
of
Mozambique,
Zambia,
Namibia,
Botswana,
and
South
Africa.
That
means
once
you
sell
the
land,
only
a
few
people
will
hold
onto
it.”
He
voiced
concerns
that
the
policy
would
primarily
benefit
a
small,
privileged
group,
leaving
many,
including
war
veterans,
without
land.
“I
can
speak
on
behalf
of
war
veterans—about
75
to
80
percent
have
not
been
allocated
land,
the
very
land
they
fought
for,
including
myself.
I
don’t
even
have
a
piece
of
land.
So,
the
question
is,
who
owns
the
land
right
now?”
he
asked.
Mathibela
further
argued
that
allowing
the
sale
of
land
would
hurt
Zimbabwe’s
agricultural
potential,
as
land
intended
for
farming
could
be
repurposed
for
private
development.
“When
you
sell
land,
the
buyer
is
not
obligated
to
engage
in
agriculture.
Some
just
subdivide
it
for
housing.
Land
that
was
meant
for
farming
is
being
privatized.
People
get
title
deeds
and
can
do
whatever
they
want,”
he
explained.
He
also
criticised
the
government’s
focus
on
compensating
white
former
landowners
over
providing
land
to
Zimbabweans.
“There
is
a
$3.5
billion
compensation
bill
for
former
white
farmers,
yet
many
of
us
who
fought
for
this
land
remain
without
it.
Does
that
make
sense?
Personally,
it
does
not,”
he
remarked.
Reflecting
on
the
sacrifices
made
during
the
liberation
struggle,
Mathibela
called
for
a
national
consultation,
urging
the
government
to
involve
all
Zimbabweans
in
decisions
about
land
ownership.
“We
must
be
careful
and
respect
our
citizens
by
consulting
them.
If
we
all
agree
to
sell
the
land,
then
it’s
on
all
of
us,
but
that
decision
cannot
come
from
a
few
individuals,”
he
insisted.
Mathibela
also
compared
Zimbabwe’s
land
struggles
to
international
conflicts.
“Look
at
Palestine
and
Israel—they
are
fighting
for
their
ancestral
land,
even
if
it’s
a
desert.
We
must
fight
for
our
fertile
land.”
He
concluded
by
declaring
the
war
veterans’
firm
stance
against
the
sale
of
land.
“We
declare
that
land
must
not
be
sold
to
anyone,
black
or
white.
The
land
is
God-given
and
must
be
utilised
by
all
Zimbabweans,
including
veterans.
We
do
not
support
this
initiative,”
he
affirmed.
“As
a
constituency,
we
also
line
up
to
apply
for
land
to
be
productive.
What
we
are
against
is
selling
land.
If
the
land
I
fought
for
is
sold
and
I
can’t
access
it,
that
means
you
and
I
are
going
to
have
a
problem,”
Mathibela
warned.