Five years ago, there were 4000 white-owned farms in Zimbabwe; today, there are only 400 (mostly unproductive) farms left. Five years ago, Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of sub-Saharan Africa; today, it is a basket case of starving people.
The vast majority of the seized farms went to President Mugabe’s loyal cronies in government who used them for weekend retreats. Virtually every Cabinet minister and senior security official now has at least two farms. Even then, they are not given the title deed, just a long lease, which the president can revoke at the first sign of disloyalty.
It has been a catastrophe. These people had no idea how to farm commercially and farms that would normally be overflowing with maize and other crops lie fallow, much of them now covered in waist-high wild grass. Farm machinery stands unused in abandoned fields.
I wrote the above about Robert Mugabe’s iron-fisted ruination of Zimbabwe in this previous article over a year ago. Subsequently, just last October, I expressed utter indignation in this article when the United Nations invited him to Rome to lead a chorus of Third-World despots, incompetents and kleptomaniacs in a shameless rant condemning America and Europe for “ crippling the development of agriculture in Zimbabwe.”
But only a month later, I had cause to express cautious optimism when it became clear that Mugabe’s foolish pride in starving his own people was waning after he was forced to admit that his land reforms were an abject failure. Moreover, I was certain that this begrudging admission would lead him to unclench his fist and hold his hand out for help to reverse his patently and tragically flawed plan for the purported economic liberation of black Zimbabweans.
Therefore, I was not terribly surprised when the BBC reported yesterday that:
Zimbabwe has confirmed that it is offering land to white farmers who had their property seized under President Robert Mugabe’s land reform programme
As indicated, when I first wrote about Mugabe’s land redistribution plan, Zimbabwe still had 400 “mostly unproductive” farms. Today there are 300. But, frankly, I doubt any of the 3600 farmers whose farms were seized, invariably by force, would even consider Mugabe’s “offer”, unless it was sanctioned and guaranteed by either the EU or the US…or China!
Indeed, why would any white farmer return when one of the few whites brave enough to stay on in Zimbabwe after his farm was seized in 2004, opposition MP Roy Bennett, reportedly sought political asylum in neighbouring South Africa just days ago. The spokesman for his party confirmed that “…the regime is after his head. We cannot afford a dead hero.”
Therefore, as desperate for and deserving of their help as poor (black) Zimbabweans clearly are, white farmers can be forgiven their decision to wait until the 82-year Mugabe dies a natural death or is himself the target of the coup of liberation he supposedly executed against oppressive whites over 26 years ago….
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, white farmers
Allie says
Hi Anthony
Sorry about your publishing glitches from yesterday. I was worried.
The nerve of this guy! Don’t you think those white farmers would be fools to go back. Is he still refusing American food aid for his people?
Anonymous says
I am stunned by the lack of effective leadership on display in so many countries around the world. As a suggestion for Good News Friday, perhaps you could hold out hope in the form of an example of true national leadership in the 21st century. Surely there must be examples of individuals leading nations in the pursuit of productive, democratic, and fair- minded agendas.
Thanks as always for your insight……
Rage……
Richard says
“Third-World despots, incompetents and kleptomaniacs?” Boy, how do you really feel about African leaders.
But really, when even the one most praised by the west Museveni is now behaving more like Mugabe than Mbeki, I can’t argue with you.