Zim’s white farmers to plot survival plan
by Own Correspondent Monday 15 November 2010
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s white farmers hold an emergency congress at the
month-end to plot a new survival strategy, after a decade of controversial
government land reforms that saw the majority of the farmers driven off the
land.
The mainly white Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) said in a notice to members
that the November 30 special congress was expected to come up with a new
strategic plan and constitution for the organisation.
“The official notice has been sent out to inform everyone about the
Emergency General Meeting which will be held here at the union on 30th
November 2010,” said the CFU.
The special congress is also expected to discuss a report by consultant Rob
Ward who conducted a survey of the union members in October to gather their
opinions and input on the restructuring of the organisation.
Ward specialises in strategic planning, organisational development and
strategic mentoring and has a wealth of experience in change management in
large private sector companies, non-governmental organisations and
government departments.
Preliminary results of his survey showed that only 32 percent of the CFU
membership is still farming, 64 percent of who said they want to continue
operating.
Half of the more than 100 farmers who responded to Ward’s questionnaire
believe that their expectations are being met by the CFU.
Zimbabwe’s beleaguered white farmers have shown growing frustration at
failure by the country’s coalition government and their union to end chaos
in the farming sector.
The unity government of President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai has watched helplessly as members of the security forces and
hardliner activists of Mugabe’s ZANU PF party intensified a drive to seize
all land still in white hands.
The coalition government is yet to act to fulfil the promise to restore law
and order in the key agricultural sector, while more farms – including some
owned by foreigners and protected under bilateral investment protection
agreements between Zimbabwe and other nations — have been seized over the
past few months.
And to make matters worse, according to the CFU, police and judicial
officers who are supposed to enforce the rule of law were also among the
beneficiaries of the free-for-all land grab.