Alleged land policy reversal criticised as propaganda

By Tererai Karimakwenda
09 February 2006

A report in the UK Telegraph newspaper says Robert Mugabe has begun to reverse his controversial land grab policy and will soon offer some white farmers an opportunity to lease back their property in Zimbabwe.
The report says the U-turn is expected to be announced within days, and the ruling party's politburo has been informed. News of the intended reversal came as a shock to the 2 existing farmers’ organisations, both of which said they had not heard about this from any other source. And despite any government rhetoric, the farmers confirmed that illegal evictions were continuing and the government had to prove they were serious about agriculture first.

John Worsley Worswick of Justice For Agriculture (JAG) said he found the news very difficult to believe since there is still intense pressure on the remaining farmers and evictions have escalated in the last 3 to 4 months. Worswick added that this reversal plan was impractical anyway, because no farmer in their right mind would go back under the current conditions. The Mugabe regime violently evicted about 4000 white commercial farmers in the last 6 years without compensation, and Worswick said he believes the latest news is just propaganda. He said as the situation remains, there is no respect for property rights, no compensation and no adherence to the rule of law. He believes there is a long way to go before the government can be trusted again.

Trevor Gifford of The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) also said news of this intended reversal in land policy came as a shock as it goes against the field of play. He said evictions were continuing and farmers need to see a turnaround in policy and tangible implementation of it. The CFU has had a traditionally more moderate approach and has been willing to negotiate with government. But many broken promises and the continued evictions have brought about a desire to see action rather than more talk. However Gifford reiterated their commitment to rebuilding agriculture in Zimbabwe. He said: “If the government will is there, we have not changed our commitment.”

According to the UK Telegraph, about 250 whites still occupying small portions of their farms will immediately be offered state leases for the land they used to own. These leases would later be extended to some white farmers who have already been evicted, particularly where there is no activity on that land. But both JAG and the CFU are concerned about the issue of trust. Several government officials including Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Mugabe himself have previously called for an end to evictions. But they have stood by while government officials and state agents continue to take the most productive farms in the country. Should the government announce a reversal of this policy in the coming days, it would need to show somehow that it is serious this time. Otherwise it is just more rhetoric.