A Reminder Why I Started This Blog, The World of Rhetoric and More Conjecture About Our Title Deeds.

The early morning cloud inversion makes the Robacal Valley in front of us look like a lake

Last week, I had the inevitable phone call requesting if I could attend the Coimbra University Hospital for a CT scan, followed by a consultation to review the results with my surgeon in a couple of weeks. This reminded me why I originally started this blog. It was because I had been diagnosed with my second type of cancer and was extremely sick. Therefore, I thought it could be something not too strenuous to wile away my time whilst lying on a hospital bed or in recovery. It would also allow me to reflect on my life, be it achievement or failure and trigger memories of all those people and events that have impacted on my life. A few, very few, I could have done without meeting, but the vast majority added something positive to my life. 

“Those who did me harm or I witnessed harming others taught me some of my best life lessons. The wolf does not always wear wolf clothing. Those who actively work against you or cause you or your friends harm in any way teach you the world is not as idyllic as most of us imagined in our youth. Life is about experience, and I certainly have had plenty of that.” - Peter McSporra

I have had lots of what I would call physically inactive time, yet after four years of weekly writing, I am still short of ending my reflections. Despite as yet not being cured, I am feeling as well as I have been since falling ill. This has prompted me to reflect on my blog and its contents again. It reminded me it was primarily for me, although I share it with you readers on the advice of my family and friends. I am aware, or at least have the perception, that it has become too mundane as time passes. Have I mellowed? Presently, I am spending much time describing my farming operations in the years just prior to the Fast-Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP). It makes it better for me to remember what I had achieved and what we lost as a family and our employees. Yes, while we can say we lost our wealth, livelihood, and homes with the loss of our farms, equally, our employees, many of whom had lived on the farm for generations, also lost their homes and livelihoods. So little in the international press was reported on their loss or the violence perpetrated against them.

“Unlike European farms, Zimbabwean farms were villages where the community relied on employment on the farm, attended school and had access to trained health workers. The FTLRP was equally as devastating to them.” - Peter McSporran

The other day, I complained to Rozanne that my blog had probably become boring as I was describing my farming operations in the years before FTLRP.  She suggested my hesitation or avoidance of controversial subjects may be due to the era of others self-identifying what they consider offensive. Food for thought, for sure. Meanwhile, those taking offence can demand intervention by the law in many European countries, probably even more so in the UK. On reflection, she may be right. I have been subconsciously editing my own words. I have also thought by having experienced persecution by a corrupt Government, my comments may sound racist to others. It is not so, it is just that the Government in question happened to be African, and the action they took against us, the farm owners, was racially instigated despite the vast majority of black workers who were displaced. In Britain, the angst against the present British Government over inheritance tax, definitely not racial, will be similar to mine.

Wood sorrel in full bloom in the paddock in front of the house

“It is difficult to be a realist when many are happy to combat the truth with accusations of racial, religious or gender political incorrectness. The logical arguments have no place in this rhetoric; taking offence is the new tool of choice to subdue those with views contrary to their own.” - Peter McSporran

I do not worry about offending people, even when the state and its minions are more likely to support these perceptions than the truth. Perhaps it does instil some hesitation. That thought raises my internal ire. I will hopefully continue to write what I think. Let's hope I am not a closet bigot. 

So, as I said, I am about to re-enter the realm of medical reviews again, with CT scans to take place later in the week. Yes, this Saturday afternoon when I should be watching the Scotland v England Six Nations rugby match. I will only get home after the final whistle on Saturday night, so I hope no one texts me the result before then. I will avoid social media and catch up on the game on Saturday night or Sunday morning. Last time out, Scotland was way under their best. Bloody awful. No TV entertainment for Rozanne until after the match; she is very patient when I am glued in front of the TV watching rugby, finding amusement in my derogatory comments. The older I get, the more emotional I seem about the importance of the result. Why is that? 

Consultation with the surgeon is already booked in a couple of weeks following the results of the scans; luckily, before we head off to the Algarve to celebrate Rozanne’s sixtieth birthday in mid-March. This is belated, as we chose the time in the hope of improved weather and to allow many of her friends and family from around the world to attend. We are so excited all our children, including those in America, plan to be there along with Rozanne’s far-flung siblings. 

There have been two subjects that have been on my mind for the past few months. The first is about illegal immigration into Europe and especially the UK. Why should I be interested in immigration, you may say? Well, although I was not born in Zimbabwe, I was a naturalised citizen of that country from the mid-seventies. In contrast, the vast majority of my fellow Zimbabwean friends, especially the farmers, were born Zimbabwean offspring of multiple generations. It interests me that our country, Zimbabwe, turned on us, not for our nationality but for the colour of our skin. To make it worse, the new government of Zimbabwe at Independence assured us they wanted us to remain, especially farmers, and help build the new country. Many African leaders, including socialists like Nyerere of Tanzania, openly advised Mugabe to look after the white farmers. Nyerere admitted in his speech at the opening of the first Harare Agricultural Show following independence it was one of the biggest errors to be made getting rid of the white farmers and nationalising their land. We took them at their word. His words were to no avail, our Government's political self-preservation utilising the racial card dictated our fate with barely a murmur from the Western world, let alone the socialist Government in power in the UK at that time. In fact, many seemed happy to tell us that what we got is what we deserved. So now, when I see so much sympathy, in the social media and the political rhetoric in support for mostly illegal immigrants arriving in Europe or the UK, it sort of rankles. Could you imagine the outcry if the UK said only white people could own farmland or be forced to share their business with white citizens by paying for their shares from future profits made on these same free shares you were compelled to hand over to continue in business? I would find such action incomprehensible and unacceptable, yet that is what happened to us in Zimbabwe and now South Africa as it has historically in most of Africa. I have no problem when someone has actual refugee status, but many are economic migrants like the hundred thousand odd Zimbabweans now working in the UK. I also accept that it is a benefit to the host country if skilled and professional people migrate to a country, not just for the present but for the future good of their chosen country. Over forty percent of London's population is non-ethnic British, with close to twenty percent of them being illegal. It makes me wonder if it has not gone too far. Then again, the politically correct rhetoric says no. In Zimbabwe, we were less than one percent, but we were deemed too many. 

That brings me to all the rhetoric about land titles in Zimbabwe’s social media, especially those forums sharing information amongst ex-farmers known colloquially as Title Deed Holders (TDHs). Millions are being spent on making illegal immigrants' entry into Europe comfortable while their cases are being heard. But hardly a word in the world press about the plight of ex-farmers of Zimbabwe and their workers when they were racially discriminated against and thrown off the farms. Many may not know, but there were three hundred thousand farm workers, each with an average of five dependents, making a total of one and a half million people losing their livelihoods and homes when their employers were violently thrown off their land. So, I do watch with interest the world's double standards, especially those of what are described as liberal — political hypocrites, one and all.

“It seems, probably unbeknown to them, that the working class in Britain has become the far right, the middle class, including the ruling class, the left and the upper class, remains but in name replaced by the billionaire ‘nouveau riche’ who despite their wealth like to portray themselves as having a social conscience happy to point out the perceived evil of the right.” - Peter McSporran 

For the past thirty years, starting long before the land takeover, the Zimbabwean Government has fed at the trough of corruption at the expense of the people with little criticism, especially from its African political peers. They are happy to share and absorb their self-promoting rhetoric about their financial or governance skills. All lies. Worthless rhetoric. Just this week, Kerry Kay, one of the few remaining outspoken activists in Zimbabwe, said that so much salt still rubs on our sores when we hear this rhetoric that it makes it hard to forget what we suffered. I would be wrong to say I am not bitter. My bitterness mainly lies against the British Government, which demanded political control of Rhodesia before independence in 1979 to be seen as handing over a colony in 1980, despite Rhodesia having self-ruled since 1923. In doing so, Britain thereafter washed its hands of any responsibility despite being partially the catalyst to subsequent events regarding land ownership. It would be good for Britain to challenge this Zimbabwean Government rhetoric around compensation for what it is and put pressure on the Zimbabwean Government to abide by its constitution and laws. I say this as I am sure many of those Zimbabweans residing in Britain are there not out of choice but rather as economic refugees brought about by poor governance. Lack of accountability. Lack of democracy.

This remains of my once productive farm, Mede, following the land invasions in 2001. Only one building, the manager's cottage, remains of the farm buildings. All the infrastructure was destroyed shortly after resettlement as the settlers were A1, that is, people without any resources, so they fought over everything down to the bricks. The farm workers were chased off, and their houses commandeered by the war vets. Despite our situation, most farmers paid their workers' gratuities, which unfortunately became worthless with the hyper devaluation that quickly followed due to the Government's action on the economy

Much is being bandied about regarding new titles being issued on our land In Zimbabwe. It does not worry me; I have looked at some of my properties through Google Maps Pro, and I have little desire to return to the remnants of what I had. Others may be more fortunate, with their farms remaining intact, but that is probably very few. I do, however, remember what my farms looked like when I was dispossessed in 2001. I have the original titles showing its boundaries and legal transfer to my name or companies. I also have a description of the improvements at that time. 

“The time we lost the farms is the critical time, ’That Time’ related to our title, its proof of ownership, its value, and the value of the improvements on it. Any other title is not essential to us.” - Peter McSporran

So whatever they, the Government or others are doing, even issuing new title counterfeit deeds, should mean little to us. It is something to talk about, but it cannot affect the events that happened at ‘That Time.’ The provenance of my title is impeccable. I doubt that the new titles will stand up to scrutiny in the future. The corrupt will have a field day with multiple duplications of ownership on the same title, with no formal surveying or legality in the registration, no record of sales nor future proof of ownership. Over time, when  Zimbabwe wants to regain its credibility, I am pretty sure they will revert to the original titles. As an aside, I wonder how many are willing to buy these new titles.

Meanwhile, the Government is paying those TDHs protected by BIPPA for a small portion of the value of their improvements. I do not know about the land; perhaps someone could enlighten me. It was criminal that the colonial power Britain did not sign a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) at Independence to protect those of British descent. I believe it was discussed but consciously left out of the final agreement. Let's worry about immigrants and forget about our pensioners and farmers, let alone our displaced colonial farmers. It is easier to use rhetoric than deal with the impact of reality.

Disclaimer: Copyright Peter McSporran. The content in this blog represents my personal views and does not reflect corporate entities.