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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Zimbabwe admits 'errors' on land |
| 2005-11-01 |
| A Zimbabwean minister has said that many of those given land since 2000 know little about farming and this has led to food shortages. The authorities have previously blamed hunger on poor rains, while critics have pointed to the seizure of most of the country's white-owned land. Up to three million people will need food aid this year, the UN says. At the same time, the UN has criticised Zimbabwe for refusing aid for people made homeless by housing demolitions. Deputy Agriculture Minister Sylvester Nguni was quoted in the state-owned Herald newspaper as saying that while a few of those given land were committed to agricultural production, many others were doing "nothing" on the farms. Although he mentioned the poor rains, he also told a meeting of the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union: "The biggest letdown has been that people without the slightest idea of farming got land and the result has been declining agricultural output." In a secretly filmed report for the BBC, villagers said they had only been eating one meal of porridge a day since May. A woman said her two children had died after eating poisonous roots because they were so hungry. Much of Zimbabwe's best agricultural land was previously owned by whites, but over the last five years 4,000 white farmers - out of 4,500 - have had their land seized and redistributed to blacks. Critics say that many of the beneficiaries have been government cronies. On Monday, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan criticised the Zimbabwean government for rejecting humanitarian aid to those in need. Earlier this year, the UN said about 700,000 people had been left without homes or work by an eviction campaign that began in May. A statement by Mr Annan rejected claims by the Zimbabwean government that it required no international assistance as it had already provided shelter for those in need. "A large number of vulnerable groups, including the recent evictees as well as other vulnerable populations, remain in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, including shelter," Mr Annan said. "Furthermore there is no clear evidence that subsequent Government efforts have significantly benefited these groups," he added. Annual inflation is running at 360% and about 75% of the population live below the poverty line. Critics blame the disruption caused by the land seizures to the agriculture-based economy. President Robert Mugabe has always accused western countries led by former colonial power Britain of sabotaging the economy because of opposition to land reform. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Besoeker, in my 28 years out there, I met a Telephone, a Danger, a Blessing, the odd Tickey, Sixpence and Shilling, and Isiah. http://www.theindependent.co.zw/news/2004/October/Friday15/814.html, a bit old.... Excerpt, "In Mhondoro, former legislator Mavis Chidzonga, Mashonaland West party vice-chairman John Mafa, businessman Sylvester Nguni and Chamu Mutyambizi are campaigning for a ticket to represent Zanu PF in the 2005 parliamentary election. In Makoni West, sitting MP Gibson Munyoro is under immense pressure. Five candidates - Agriculture minister Joseph Made, singer Chinx Chingaira, Nation Madongorere, David Jura and one Musendo - are fighting for the seat. Sources told the Independent this week that campaigning for the Mhondoro seat had intensified and Nguni had allegedly injected over $50 million to fund his campaign. The Independent also heard this week that there were plans to relieve Philip Chiyangwa of his provincial chairmanship in Mashonaland West ahead of the congress in December. Chiyangwa belongs to the so-called "Net*One" camp that has Ignatious Chombo, Edna Madzongwe, Bright Matonga and Sylvester Nguni". Dont mean to harp on about the names, but, just in that little bit, we had Bright, Ignatius, and a Nation. Sylvester injected 50 Million bucks into his campaign, checked it out, that's 861 US bucks at yesterdays exchange rate, if you can find it. I can see the bump-jive down in the Cotton canteen, all night long. OK, joking aside, the stated aim of Bob is to reduce the population by half, the road on which he has begun. Once the opposition is gone, who's left? The ones who dont want to work on Sylvester's Cotton Farm, so they got to go. Sylvester is saying, "We got the farms now, work on them or die". He is an opportunistic African, probably builds dodgy buildings for the workers, and does a good email scam too. |
| Posted by: Rhodesiafever 2005-11-01 17:58 |
| #4 "OK! Mistakes were made." -- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-11-01 16:50 |
| #3 "Furthermore there is no clear evidence that subsequent Government efforts have significantly benefited these groups," he added. Old Kofi, what a perceptive bugger he is, who would have known? Is he actually saying gov't sponsored wealth redistribution doesn't really work? Wow! 360% inflation? There's a retirement project for Greenspan. Sylvester? hmmm is that a Shona or Zulu name? I new a cat once named Sylvester. "Thufferin Thuccatash" oh no...sounds kinda er Anglo. You and Scooter Libby may soon have a thing or two in common, but I suspect he'll outlive YOU! Not to worry, progress is just around the corner, the white farmers are nearly gone. Sylvester, get a life and get with the program or we'll send you off to the Frunze for some 7-Habits and cultural awareness training. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2005-11-01 12:38 |
| #2 I don't imagine we'll be hearing much from that minister in the future. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-11-01 09:16 |
| #1 Yo, Sylvester. Cut a brother some slack, man. |
| Posted by: Farmin B. Hard 2005-11-01 09:04 |