By Staff reporter

ZANU PF National Youth Political Commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu has explained his position on the issue of compensating former white commercial farmers for the infrastructural development on the farms acquired by Government.

In an audio that is circulating on social media, Tsenengamu dismissed allegations that he was criticising the President.

“Iam not criticising the president but Iam just against the constitution which is a compromise document which was negotiated among political parties,” said Tsenengamu.

He said since Zanu PF had a two thirds majority, it was time to amend the constitution so that the country avoids dishing out the little money it has to the former white commercial farmers.

He said he was aware of some machinations to expel him from the party because of his belief on compensation.  He said: “I know that there are some people advocating for my expulsion because I have said out what I think about this issue. If I deserve to be fired for expressing my views, let it be, I have no problem with that. I cannot sacrifice my principles on the altar of expediency.”

Tsenenengamu said the issue of compensating white farmers was not the President’s position but that the latter was just being forced by the constitution to do so.

“The constitution that was crafted by Zanu PF together with the two MDC factions is the one forcing the president to compensate the whites.

“I believe if the president had a choice, he would not compensate these thieves. But because he is a constitutionalist, his duty is to uphold the constitution. So my point is, the president is only compensating them because the constitution is dictating so,” said the outspoken commissar.

He said before the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC), the Zanu PF government’s constitution had no provision for compensating white farmers. He said that the provision was smuggled into the constitution by the MDC which wanted to save the interests of the whites whose farms were gazetted.

“With the economic hardships we are facing, we cannot afford to compensate the white farmers even when the constitution says so. So we must amend that constitution so that it saves our interests,” said Tsenengamu.

He went on to explain how the whites seized the farms from the Africans and how they exploited them on these farms.

He said when the whites talked about property rights; they were not talking about infrastructural development but about the land itself. He added that although the president was doing his best in reengaging the whites, their demands will never end.