Mugabe attacks Zimbabwe’s land reform again
http://www.zimdaily.com/beta/news271338.html
By TONGAI MUDIWA
Published: Tuesday March 23, 2010
ZIMBABWE – HARARE – With signs increasing that the so-called third Chimurenga is unravelling dramatically, President Robert Mugabe last weekend attacked new farmers again for taking land when they knew they could not farm.
ZimDaily understand this time Mugabe chose a function at his alma mater Kutama College in his home village of Zvimba to make the revelation.
“We took land from the whites, and now you go back to them? If you cannot farm why did you take the land?” fumed Mugabe.
His anger stems from revelations that numbers of white farmers have been reengaged by “comrades” as “farm managers.”
This is the second time in a fortnight that Mugabe has indicated that he is feeling the pressure of a poorly planned programme gone wrong.
Two weeks ago, he labelled new farmer “primitive” for failing to make use of abundant water resources and relying solely on rain for commercial farming.
“Mugabe is feeling the strain of a programme that is collapsing in his face. Since Gideon Gono stopped printing worthless Zimdollars and giving huge gifts of equipment, fuel and fertiliser to farmers who simply sold the on,
the land reform programme has gone into fifth reverse gear,” said a Zanu PF insider.
“The new Finance Minister Tendai Biti says the country needs farmers who treat farming as a business and this has knocked many off their feet. They were used to getting things for nothing and getting subsidised for doing
nothing all year,” he added.
White farmers have been coming back and late last year Mashonaland Central Governor Martin Dinha revealed that his office had processed application for land allocation for more than 10 white farmers as Zimbabwe was a “united country.”
Surprisingly, this week, the zealous Governor was fingering chiefs in his province for leasing out farms to white farmers.
“We will continue registering our support for Cde Mugabe. We will die with Cde Mugabe rather than leave our land to be taken away by the former white farmers,” he said.
In Mashonaland East, a court has hear that the governor there, Aeneas Chigwedere and Land reform Minister Herbert Murerwa have advised a white farmer to stay put on his farm because they are reassessing land reform.