Ndung'u report: Why we owe Zimbabwe help

President William Ruto and his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa at the joint summit of East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. [PCS]

Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has warned that foreigners will no longer get freehold title deeds.

While in Malindi recently, the Lands boss rallied foreigners to surrender all freehold titles, which she says will now be converted into 99-year leasehold title deeds. According to her, the decree is per the 2010 Constitution which allows only Kenyans to have freehold titles, while foreigners get leases of 99 years and below. Ms Wahome, however, says the State isn’t fighting or targeting foreigners in its land reforms agenda.  

Land is emotive and managing it has caused unease within and among countries. This week, we saw how an erratic Donald Trump threatened to withhold aid to South Africa. Reason? He claims the country is ‘confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly.’ The US president was referring to a new law allowing land seizures by the state without compensation.

But President Cyril Ramaphosa denies arbitrary expropriations. But perhaps as he rants on social media, Mr Trump and his adviser, South African-born Elon Musk, should be reminded that when on matters land, the situation in Zimbabwe calls for greater global attention.

It’s an open secret that compensating white settlers whose farms were seized under Robert Mugabe has reopened a labyrinth of old pains. While the African Development Bank is helping mobilise $3.5 billion (Sh453 billion), observers say the payouts will amount to little more than peanuts. Others say it’s a positive step, especially if it doesn’t cause debt beyond the current $18 billion.

That said, the financial reparations, announced late last year by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, alone aren’t enough. The international community, including Mr Trump, must help demand full accountability from those who caused the mess. The 4,500 farmers ejected between 2000 and 2005 deserve closure.  

Critically, the payouts must not be a scheme by the system to ‘do good’ but then protect those who caused systemic failures, President Emmerson Mnangagwa included. Nevertheless, delayed justice is preferable to none. The present government must be supported to pursue pro-people land reforms. 

This is why in the spirit of pan-Africanism, Kenya should share its checkered land reforms experience with Zimbabwe, including establishment of the National Land Commission, digitisation of records and how we navigated the Ndung’u Land Report of 2004 that detailed historical injustices, and made proposals for redress. What are the lessons on politicisation of land distribution?  

Sadly, since Mr Mnangagwa took office, his leadership has been akin to Mugabe’s. It’s been characterised by demands to lift sanctions on his nation. Economic and diplomatic censures, enforced from 2000, were directed at Mr ‘Bob’ due to graft and rights abuses. His wife, Grace, loved lavish foreign shopping trips.

When the ‘crocodile’ visited Nairobi in 2022 and sought help in demanding lifting of sanctions, I warned in this space that calls for normalcy without justice were useless. That time, President Uhuru Kenyatta claimed that hardships facing Harare were ‘artificially’ created by foreigners.

It’s bad when ills of yesteryears have a ripple effect on citizens. That’s not all. There’s suppression of dissent. The killing of security chief Solomon Mujuru in a house fire is unresolved, and during 2023 election, the Nelson Chamisa-led opposition faced reprisals.

Paying white farmers can’t be the conclusion of the healing journey. Zanu-PF’s top cream must offer itself for scrutiny. Also, Kenya and other nations that fault the West over sanctions on Harare while overlooking historical injustices must examine their own moral authority to cast blame.

Let’s urge Mr Mnangagwa to warm his way into the hearts of disenfranchised citizens through socio-economic reforms. Strongman tactics have no place in any modern democracy. Sooner, the Gen-Z population will push back like they’ve done elsewhere.

In West Africa, it is good news that Ecowas has approved the establishment of a tribunal to probe injustices in The Gambia. SADC and EAC, too, must call their erring members to order. The US, Kenya and the global community must offer help where it’s needed.

-The writer is a communications practitioner.