guest column:Rukudzo M Mangoma AGRICULTURE has lost the viability which at some point made it the prime export earner. As government accedes to a US$3,5 billion compensation deal for the displaced white former commercial farmers, the sector seems to have lost the comparative advantage that made the country the breadbasket of the region. Although government still regards agriculture as the mainstay of the economy, I believe it is time to refocus. My developmental studies background prompted me to burn the midnight candle pondering over what could have caused agriculture to lost its export generation capacity. After a lengthy period of serious mental exertion, I deemed it fit to go public with my considered view regarding a paradigm shift. Any objective person can attest to the fact that agriculture is no longer the dominant market player it used to be. Its viability was eroded by political expediency. Politics has meddled in agricultural affairs, dealing a heavy blow to Zimbabwe’s spine, leaving her crippled. Politics has crept into agriculture through land reform, costing the country a whopping US$3,5 billion. The occupation of land by natives, completely ignorant of farm life, treated agriculture not as a business, but more like a reward for fighting the liberation war. Many of them view owning a farm as a status symbol. They go around driving their fancy cars bragging about how possessing a farm is the epitome of success, yet owning a farm is a serious responsibility to uphold the right to life, both in Zimbabwe and the rest of the world. Failure by a farmer to maximise land use, is not any other misdemeanour in my view, but a serious wrongdoing of the same gravity as that of engaging in terrorism, it deprives the nation of food security and may result in political instability. One thing most occupants of land have in common is lack of wealth creation know-how through agriculture. Most of these farms are under the management of people who are farm managers by name but have no necessary competencies. Surprisingly, the owners who frequently visit the farms dressed in trendy attire do not realise the disservice they are doing to the country. Presently, the impact is being felt throughout the country, with shortages of wheat, maize, meat and milk, all now being imported. President Emmerson Mnangagwa once said importing food was an embarrassment to the country given the abundance of agricultural land and labour. South Africa’s Bishop Desmond Tutu hit the nail on the head when he said: “Zimbabwe has turned from being the breadbasket of Africa to being a basket case herself”. Moreso, government is using agriculture as a political tool to woo voters. It has neglected commercial farming and is now focusing on subsistence farming. By providing more inputs to subsistence farmers, most of whom are in rural areas, it has led them into thinking that they are the right men for the job - the god complex - an inflated narcissistic belief that everyone needs you for their survival. Hence, every election we see a majority of predomin