Drought-Stricken Zimbabwe Farmers Stranded As Grazing Lands Diminish
10 July 2012
Gibbs Dube | Washington
Subsistence farmers in drought-stricken areas of Matabeleland South and some
parts of the Midlands Province are being forced to pay up to $40 a month to
access grazing land in farms occupied by beneficiaries of Zimbabwe’s
controversial land reform program.
Some of the affected farmers told Studio 7 Tuesday that most of them are
failing to raise money to pay for grazing land, adding they fear that they
may end up losing their livestock.
The farmers said some of them have resorted to parceling out livestock to
resettled farmers who are demanding a beast from each villager with at least
10 cattle before allowing them to have access to greener pastures.
Some of the farmers who are refusing to part with beasts and have no source
of income are believed to be driving their cattle into the resettlement
areas at night.
Plumtree farmer Patrick Nyathi said the situation is getting out of hand as
the majority of communal farmers can’t afford to pay the high grazing costs.
“It’s a pity that the government is not in a position to help these
farmers,” said Nyathi.
Mataga farmer Thembinkosi Ndlovu said some parts of the Midlands Province’s
Mberengwa District still have grazing land though their livestock no longer
have access to drinking water.
Drought has gripped most parts of Masvingo, Matabeleland, Manicaland and
Midlands where villagers are now living on one meal a day while their
livestock is in danger of being decimated by the dry spell, one of the worst
in years.