Consensus. Sup with the Devil.
This week I am only going to set aside a couple of short paragraphs on the bond offer under the GCD (Global Compensation Deed). I have been amazed at how much interest my blog has attracted over the past two weeks. Certainly, a lot more than those blogs about my mundane life. The observation of most interest is that not one of the promotors of the ‘deal’ has contacted me to refute anything I have written, nor have they answered a query I directed to Andy Pascoe.
I have had many replies and comments from those that have read my blog in recent weeks, many privately thanking me for an alternate opinion although I have only relayed or interpreted how I see it personally. There are some that say what is there to lose in taking up the bond offer or at least agreeing and waiting to see developments. Of course, that is part of the tactic, your hesitancy or benign response will be treated as unsaid agreement. Many in their desperation are not heeding the wider implication of this position in their future claims nor the wider desperation at play by the Zanu-PF government in trying to access funds for itself.
I should remind you all that whatever one does in regard to the offer, it is one’s own choice. I have no problem with the individual's choice, rather my problem is with those canvassing it as both a good deal and the only deal. Especially without any legal or financial opinions. I would ask you in making your choice make sure you fully understand what your commitment might entail and its ramifications.
I appreciate my friend Cedric Wilde’s stance. He is the representative of the South African Commercial Farmers Alliance (SAFCA), those Matebeles, sitting on the Compensation Steering Committee (CSC). He has said it is a bad deal but will not withdraw SAFCA from it until his constituency have agreed as a whole. That is when consensus on the way forward is agreed upon. The deal, therefore, remained on the table he said until instructed otherwise by his members. This decision will be following a meeting which was to be held this morning, Friday.
This is the underlying problem for many as I have stated in my earlier blogs. Those older people, especially those still living within Zimbabwe, are now looking at the perpetrators of our plight in hope, despite what the government and its cronies have done to us in the past and are still doing to the country. Most are aware the deal has an ulterior motive but have lost the will or mental energy to question it in its present form..
“The fact you can see the fish from the river bank does not mean you will catch it.” - Peter Mcsporran
When I was in the CFU, the first three hundred farms were listed for resettlement. At that time there was still room to appeal and the British were still funding land reform. The Government stated that it would target underutilised land first, of course, many farms on the list, if not all were productive active farms. The chefs wanted developed farms for themselves. Therefore, in challenging the list, the Government asked for us to supply alternates. The Government then approached the CFU asking for us to identify farms, stating that one of my predecessors had said we would help in this regard. Certainly, it was not my immediate predecessor Anthony Swire-Thompson. I responded with the support of the Council that it was not our role to prejudice any of our paid-up members in identifying his or her farm for resettlement. However, the story was initially not the same at the Zimbabwe Tobacco Association (ZTA), where some senior tobacco growers, but not the leadership of the ZTA, suggested tobacco farmers should get special treatment as they brought in foreign currency, always in short supply, and should therefore be issued with a blanket exemption. When their council which I sat in on as President of the CFU discussed this, the meeting got heated. I will not mention the sponsors of this proposal, one at a later date was to become the ZTA president. During the debate, one of the ZTA senior councillors had these wise words of advice to those advocating the motion by quoting a mediaeval idiom.
“He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon.” - Adam Barnard
The Government then immediately claimed our decision indicated the CFU was against land reform. Just another lie. I would say the present action of the CSC takes them beyond the spoon stage.
“By entering this bond deal including becoming benefactors of shares in a rogue mining company, this is not just supping with the devil but rather getting into the soup with him.” - Peter McSporran
The motion did not carry in the ZTA, I believe at that time under the leadership of Ian Alcock. He was followed by my good friend Peter Richards both great leaders with integrity. In those days, farmers' organisations were run by consensus of the majority, from the grassroots farmer associations to the CFU council. People heeded the consensus. To ignore the consensus on any important matter creates division, bad blood and is often done without transparency.
A couple of weeks ago I accused the Scottish National Party (SNP) of this. In three short weeks, this party has imploded with the leadership gone and those remaining fighting over a much reduced bone, now the truth on membership numbers are known. In electing the new leader, the party leadership wanted to keep voting numbers secret, only announcing the numbers after duress from other candidates with close to 30% less than stated. The First Minister’s husband lost his job in the process. Secrecy, deceit and not heeding what the majority wanted almost destroyed not just the leadership but the party itself. I believe by not heading the consensus of the ex-farmers in regard to the GCD, it could well be the end of the CFU and may even put the future role of Valcon under question. Nobody wants that.
In support of my warning about supping with the devil, I have to this end included just two of many articles linked to sites on the internet about the credibility of the Kuvimba Mining shares, its asset purchases, and its purchase by Government. These purchases were made, it would appear with illegal bonds, some of which originally earmarked for the Command Agriculture project, some issued without parliament approval. Exchanges were made at preferential rates in currency transactions around these bonds realising huge profits to the unscrupulous well connected holders. These actions must surely discredit any value, even perceived by the desperate in those shares. Despite all this skullduggery, Kuvimba is still desperate for cash. Kuvimba Mining, due to its murky links to Kudakwashe Tagwirei, is on the sanction list. Where does that leave us farmers participating in the deal? As a director, will our CFU President become sanctioned or even the CFU as an entity? Certainly, it would not help in trying to get an exemption for Zidera as was suggested could happen at the meetings held recently.
“The United States, European Union countries, and the United Kingdom should consider issuing advisories on the risks of doing business with the Zimbabwean mining sector, highlighting the risks of sanctions evasion, money laundering, and corruption.” - The Sentry* https://thesentry.org/reports/shadows-shell-games
“The US and UK have placed sanctions on Tagwirei, whom former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo described as “a notoriously corrupt Zimbabwean businessman” who had assisted “senior Zimbabwean government officials involved in public corruption”. - Daily Maverick https://youtu.be/MZ8SfZjpXAU
There are many more articles on corruption in both bonds and Kuvimba Mining in Zimbabwe on the internet.
I am adding this paragraph as two important messages have been received after writing this week's blog. The CSC are going back to the Government after listening to some of our concerns aired on the 'Roadshow.' The other is the statement by Valcon saying they remain an independent service provider and presently do not have any mandate to become a signatory to the deal presently on offer. They will handle each ex-farmer client's information and instruction as and when the client requires it.
I now revert back to my life story after all the hectic discussions around the offer of bonds. I am sure most of you will be glad to be relieved of not needing to read the rest.
Importance of Timing in Farming.
In the eighties following independence, we were just happy to be on our farms. At that time to give comfort to farmers wishing to purchase and develop farms a letter from the government was provided to someone who wished to sell a farm, this letter known as “No Present Interest.” This meant the property could be sold and purchased by private individuals with the knowledge that the Government, having been offered the land, had refused it. At that time, the Government had first refusal on all the agricultural land. I suppose we should have taken more cognizance of the, “No present” element as these letters did stand the test of time.
For myself, I was enjoying farming and relocating to our new house on Diandra. At that time the best advice I was ever given was from by the late Johnny Rowell.
“The difference between a good farmer and a bad farmer, is one is early and the other always late.” - Johnny Rowell
What did he mean? It soon became clear to me.
“Time and tide wait for no man.” - Geoffrey Chaucer
For the farmer, time should read season. With our climate, the maximum opportunity was within critical windows around the beginning of each season. In fact, they commenced in the previous year when early ploughing or harrowing was required before the end of the rains aiding water retention for the next planting season. Many a rain-fed tobacco crop failed due to lack of retained moisture if a drought followed planting.
Irrigated tobacco yields were the highest when planted in the first week of September, two and a half months before the rains. Rain-fed water-planted tobacco yields from the 15th of October were highest and never later than very early November. Our sandy soils were prone to leaching and water logging and late-planted tobacco generally failed in providing viable yields. Irrigated groundnut planting commenced on the 15th of September, maize, and seed maize always before the 15th of November. These became my golden rules which I am afraid I compromised slightly by introducing winter wheat. This impacted on water availability for my early irrigated tobacco and groundnuts and therefore my search for an additional farm became intensified. By then I was growing seed maize, seed wheat and seed groundnuts. All high-value crops that required irrigation.
The Leckies took over full farm management of Mede Farm, while Mike von Memerty was still with us on Diandra. As the oilseed representative, I had to attend a number of different farmers' meetings in Mashonaland Central. Funnily enough, the farm was in Darwendale with the rest of the district west of the river coming under Lomagundi, while the Farmers Association came under Mashonaland Central although geographically, we were now included in the Province of Mashonaland East. Our rural council was Harare West. How very confusing.
Attending and reporting back on meetings, fishing trips to Kariba and farming kept me very busy. I lost my fear of talking to farmers who seemed to understand me despite my accent. I learned farmers' meetings could be intimidating affairs.
“It is much easier to be destructive from the floor in a meeting than to be constructive on the podium. The former has no accountability, while the latter is laden with it.” - Peter McSporran
In early 1985, I had my cousin Linda and her husband, Robert Hamilton come to visit us. He was a ‘Scottish bobby’, while she was an executive with a building society. Both originally hailed from Campbeltown. Linda’s dad had a ship engineering company in the ‘wee toon’ passing away in his prime. I picked them up from Robert’s aunt and uncle’s home on Calgary Farm. That was on New Year's Day in 1985. I regret not having a diary but even today I know I would not keep it up to date if I tried. We struck it off immediately. We took them white water rafting; in those days little safety, certainly no helmets or safety talks. On a later trip, we took them to Mana Pools camping. Nighttime trips to the showers were a challenge. Both enjoyed the country and the people, they were to make many return trips. Despite being relatives, we became and still are very good friends.
In regard to our farming operations, we still had a huge shortage of foreign currency with John Laurie as president of the CFU and his deputy, Bob Rutherford. Both, I would consider firm but liberal in doing their utmost to represent the needs of their members. Bob took it upon himself to secure the scarce foreign currency required to keep the wheels of agriculture turning.
*The Sentry is an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy.
Disclaimer: Copyright Peter McSporran. The content in this blog represents my personal views and does not reflect corporate entities.
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