EU gives millions for land audit
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Gift Phiri
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 18:15
HARARE – The European Union is giving the Zimbabwe government € 4.9 million
to conduct a national land audit. “The EU funds will contribute to the
implementation of the national land audit, which is critically needed to
ensure a proper framework for an increased productivity of the agriculture
sector in Zimbabwe,” said Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia, head of the EU
Ddelegation to Zimbabwe.
A two-year land audit was due to begin in Zimbabwe in February – but
shortage of funds, an angry reaction from President Robert Mugabe’s allies
and more attacks on white farmers stalled the audit. It is expected to
reveal multiple farm owners, 10 years after Mugabe’s government embarked on
its programme ostensibly to hand over mainly white-owned land to black
people.
The scheme has been widely blamed for destroying Zimbabwe’s
agriculture-based economy and turning the country into a net importer of
food.
Meanwhile the European Commission (EC) has also agreed to fund a programme
to support the reform of the sugar sector of Zimbabwe to the tune of €13 779
000 (about US$19 million). “The Zimbabwe Sugar Industry is of strategic
importance to the country’s economy which is just re-emerging from a drastic
decline that culminated in 2008, with a sugar production below 300 000 tons
per year. This projects aims at restoring the capacity and the level of
production of the sugar industry, on which the livelihood of more than 200
000 people depend,” Dell’Ariccia said.
There has been no official indication of when or even if the audit will take
place.