It is no mere coincidence that the borders of the least developed parts of the Zimbabwean economy are also the borders of the communal areas. It is no mere coincidence that these same borders coincide with the borders of severe land degradation, deforestation and environmental desertification. It is no mere coincidence that the above realities are now becoming realities in the commercial farming areas as well. Genuine empowerment, development and poverty alleviation is not going to take place by redistributing existing assets: a system needs to be put in place that makes asset and wealth creation possible. The system that is able to create economic strength involves the very same production and financial procedures that made commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe such a success story and was also a key component of the agricultural and subsequent industrial revolutions in the developed world.

To the commercially minded individual and farmer it is essential that the land has value. Land with no commercial value is never going to have a true value as an asset to the individual. If this is the case the individual is never going to see it as a place to invest in, to build on, to improve, to develop or pay tax for. Individuals simply do not invest in businesses that do not belong to them. In the same way individuals do not invest in land that is state owned and could be taken away at a politician's whim.

The principle is simple: the individual needs a dependable economic system that gives him the motivation and resources to develop the land in a sustainable manner creating a stable economic and political environment for the country to progress and develop within. In short the country needs one standard of private ownership expressed in the form of title.

Up until February 2000 when the people of Zimbabwe, in essence, voted in a referendum for security of tenure, nearly a third of Zimbabwean land was titled. In March 2003 around 98% of land in Zimbabwe is effectively controlled by the state and it cannot be said that there is any true security of tenure left anywhere in the country. As a result the principle source of Zimbabwe's livelihood and wealth creation is being destroyed. By chiselling away at property rights, the foundation of the whole wealth-delivery system has been undermined resulting in acute poverty creation not poverty alleviation.

The key benefits of title are very evident to see amongst the farmers in whatever agro-ecological region, soil type or rainfall regime the titled farmer finds himself in. The system provides for:

• Security of tenure

• Collateral

• Access to bank credit

• Motivation for environmental stewardship

• Financial and psychological motivation

• Confidence in long term planning

• Capital and asset accumulation

• Wealth creation for skills development

• Wealth creation for research and development

• Sustainable agricultural practices

With two systems in place in Zimbabwe, contrasts will continue to grow, and with that: increased resentment and the politics of envy that have been harnessed in the current so-called land reform program. By ZANU PF choosing to promote a system that creates political control, the very evident economic benefits of title have been disregarded. As a result Zimbabwe has the fastest shrinking economy in the world with huge disinvestments, poverty creation and now starvation. The system is demonstrably disastrous and actively prevents individual sponsored development.

Imagine a million peasants (the approximate number of peasants farmers in Zimbabwe) transformed into a million individual commercial farmers. What a huge development force that could be in Zimbabwe!! Imagine each of their small farms valued at a modest $2000 US each which they could use as collateral to borrow with on a road to becoming truly independent individuals. Imagine them getting loans up to 50% of the asset value and $1000,000,000 US being pumped into the economy. Imagine the chiefs and headmen becoming facilitators in the process: holding seminars on title for their people; registering the family heads; being involved with surveying the land; establishing and sitting on the board of the community banks with the on-the-ground knowledge of the people and preserving the integrity of their areas; helping their people through their agents with cash flows, skills development, agricultural development projects; environmental stewardship projects ; tree planting programs; irrigation schemes; the development of sustainable agricultural practices..........

Imagine this true agricultural revolution where all farmers become commercial farmers; and with that a resultant industrial revolution also taking place in the cities, towns and the new towns that would be created.

Yes, it is hard to imagine, seeing Zimbabwe going the other direction at this time. But together, with sensitivity, courage and determination Zimbabwe could be transformed into a thriving country, and the breadbasket once more, of Southern Africa. Just because a road looks hard to begin with, it doesn't mean it is not worth travelling on. We will ignore this road to our lifetimes regret.

• Land occupation that is not environmentally and financially sustainable is not an option.

• Land occupation needs to inspire personal motivation and individual responsibility.

• Communal and state ownership with its feudal parallel is an anachronism extending state control of the individual and promoting endemic poverty through subsistence agriculture.

• If Zimbabwe is to develop agriculturally and in other spheres title is a pre-requisite to success.

• Just because it seems fraught with problems in achieving one system of land ownership in Zimbabwe it does not mean that it should not be vigorously pursued.

• The current disaster offers a unique opportunity to empower and free the citizens of Zimbabwe and develop the nation under a different political dispensation.

• Seminars will need to be held with the chiefs to discuss the proposal explaining the benefits; land registration; individual ownership and the rights and obligations that go with it; the nature of the land market; procedures for changes of ownership; procedures for using collateral to develop.

• Progressive chiefs that wish to adopt title in their own areas need to come forward.

• Seminars for the people need to be held in the progressive chiefs areas.

• A land registration exercise needs to take place.

• Agricultural development banks need to be established (with a possible initial moratorium on farm sales)

• As neighbouring areas see it working a similar process needs to be duplicated.

(NB It is of course accepted that under the present political dispensation such a course of action is impossible)