At some point during my second life, the president of the University of Texas at Austin requested that I host Zulu Prince Gibson Thula and his charming wife, who were visiting as guests of the U.S. State Department.
Gibson served as the private secretary to the former Chief Buthelezi. During my visit to South Africa, I had the opportunity to meet an influential historical figure and one of the founders of the African National Congress, Pixley Seme, who hailed from the Transvaal region.
This concerns Pixley Seme, who, in 1912—the very year he established the African National Congress—founded a land acquisition firm with assistance from an American financial backer named I.W. Schlesinger. The 1913 Natives' Land Act prohibited blacks from owning land, permitting white individuals instead to possess 70% of all land across South Africa.
Consequently, Seme’s aspirations were thwarted before they could germinate. The problem lies in the fact that Schlesinger is said to have acquired a 3,000-hectare area from Seme’s community, the Bapedi, back in 1917.
The farm bears the name of Chief Zabadiele, yet we question whether he received any compensation for this honor.
Regardless, Schlesinger obtained ownership of three additional parcels of nearby land. With this expansion, he came to possess 10 square miles of citrus plantations, making him the biggest farmer in South Africa. He also had his own rail spur linking up with the Maputo railway line.
In 2003, the Bapedi contested the ownership of the land through legal means, arguing that it had been taken from them. While their claim might have held true in strict factual terms—given that the chief received only a bottle of whisky—the perspective rooted in European-centric thinking emphasizes the existence of property titles and continuous occupation for 86 years as key factors.
Here’s another perplexing issue. The court permitted the Bapedi Development Company to assume control of the land, thereby jeopardizing the jobs of approximately 8,000 employees, most of whom hail from Mozambique and Malawi. Dear readers, please stay patient with me.
The Bapedi relocated 800 warriors and 1,300 family members. In unison, they started cutting down the citrus trees alongside the path to use as firewood. Once those were depleted, they proceeded to demolish the shelters of the foreign laborers, many of whom had been abandoned for quite some time.
As we head to print in April 2025, some siblings last received a salary 15 years prior. This tale is quite familiar.
The hotel was plundered for its valuables. Anything that could be carried off ultimately vanished.
The biggest citrus farm in Africa closed its doors in 2023.
I inquired of my correspondents whether the government lacked a relief strategy. Indeed, they had two such plans. However, those tasked with implementing them proved more detrimental than beneficial. Subsequently, when I questioned if he harbored racial prejudices, suggesting he might attribute all issues to Black people, his response was: "No, I'm Black myself, yet I understand that running a farm from an office desk in the city just won’t work."
Two illustrations will provide our audience with insight. The farmworkers' union claims that despite substantial funds being allocated by the government for this initiative, the supervisors did not undergo adequate scrutiny, leading to uncertainty about "where the finances ended up."
The second issue is that the community contributed as well, however, it appears that even this contribution was stolen. "Asazi ukuthi kuhambe njani." (We don’t know what happened.)
Enter U.S. President Donald Trump
Trump has penned over three accounts regarding this scenario. He grasps that during the "Great Compromise" of 1994, Nelson Mandela might have consented, possibly with genuine intentions, to the notion that capitalism represented the optimal approach for resource management, and that businesses like Zebediela ought to remain under their initial ownership.
The situation is unclear. Can you clarify who the initial proprietors are?
I am interested because Zabadiela's narrative closely mirrors the situation in Zimbabwe at Triangle Sugar Estates and the devastation experienced by Mazowe Citrus Estates. Both stories share striking similarities.
Maybe from a practical standpoint, Trump does have a point. Negative events are occurring here.
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has expressed concerns over two main issues: the increasing lawlessness in the Limpopo province and incidents involving at least 12 instances where groups of Black individuals have reportedly been seen carrying "Offer Letters" allegedly signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
A reference is made to a liberation anthem associated with the Economic Freedom Fighters, which includes lyrics about "Killing the white farmers." Rubio contends that if the South African government fails to safeguard its disliked minority groups, then it does not deserve trust whatsoever.
South Africa’s envoy to the United States, Ibrahim Rasool, caused an unintended uproar with the U.S. administration by implying that President Trump is a white supremacist and racist. While this might hold some truth, ambassadors are expected to maintain goodwill toward their host country and exercise caution with their choice of words.
Consequently, the United States is reassessing its AGOA policy toward South Africa. AGOA enables South African products to access the U.S. market without tariffs.
Ken’s philosophy
I offer this counsel to my friends without charge. Prior to confronting the white man, perhaps at the Zabediela farm, I would assess my resources by counting my eggs and determining how many out of the 8,000 workers and their families could sustain themselves in a refugee camp.
It would be absurd to remove the American Schlesinger stand-ins and subsequently request that USAid and the US Red Cross provide sustenance for the displaced workers and their families.
I would eliminate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and substitute it with the Ministry of Trade. Most citrus fruits, like many agricultural crops, have a seasonality aspect.
A 90-day suspension could ruin an entire season's worth of crops for a nation. While Rasool might be able to express himself freely, the farmers in Zabadiela do not have such luxury and cannot afford to take chances with their livelihoods.
*Ken Mufuka is a patriotic Zimbabwean. He pens his thoughts from the United States.
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