Mugabe blasts 'neo-colonialist enemies'

"Mugabe's human rights record has seen him barred from travelling to the European Union, except for international gatherings, under the sanctions since 2002."

It is really frustrating to see "well informed" journalists continue to focus on one side of the sanctions on Zimbabwe in order to perpetuate the myth that they (the west) had no hand in the economic disaster in Zimbabwe.

For as long as the USA does not reverse ZDERA (economic sanctions on the zimbabwean gvmnt) the people of Zimbabwe, not it's leaders, will continue to suffer. The people sitting at the heads of these media agencies (in the USA and UK) are well aware of the documented ZDERA which can easily be found on the USA's foreign policy website (which does not talk of "Mugabe nad his cronies" but talks of the gobvernment of zimbabwe).

The people of Zimbabwe must resolve Zimbabwean issues just like the people of America, UK, South Africa, etc... resolve their own problems...

Western interfernce by by powerful states has lead to greater devastation and bloodshed!!

Ain't life grand when you can grab over a dozen farms for yourself and blame the collapse of the country on everything except your own ill-judged policies. Don't worry Bob, the honkys will feed the starving masses with food aid, no need to trouble yourself with such trivial considerations.

Cliff Smith11111111 One of your Garndfather was defeated by Mugabe. Pls shut up and let africans do what is best for them. We rather suffer on the hands of a fellow blackman than on the hands of a coloniser.

@Tendani: Well, you must be well pleased then, because you are.

The current situation has its origin in the unequal ownership of land. At the time of independence in 1980, the Europeans, 1 percent of the population, owned 87 percent of the land, and the Africans, who made up 99 percent of the population, lived on 13 percent of the land.After Zimbabwe gained their independence,the land issue was raised when the independence terms were being discussed and it was agreed that the question of land redistribution would be discussed after a period of 10 years after independence and Mr Mugabe raised the issue in 1990. As soon as Mr Mugabe in 1990 called for a serious discussion regarding the redistribution of land, the European settlers went wild! Mr Mugabe was rubbished, condemned and called a racist and despotic dictator who did not care for the welfare of his people. The more he called for something to be done so that the African people could get some piece of land which they could call their own, the louder the condemnation became.
Should he have left the land question; so that his 12 million Africans remained on 13 percent of their ancestral land in order to earn endless praises as a foresighted democratic, non-racial leader, an example for all African despots to emulate?

For those pf you who want to actually see Mugabe giving a recent speech, try:

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/NEWS-1319-Day+1+Diary+of+a+traveller/NEWS.aspx

And scroll to the video at the bottom of the page.

You will then watch a rambling decrepit old man exhibit most of the symptoms of first stage senilty, by wandering continuously off at tangents, starting and finishing sentences on different subjects without noticing and continuiously changing the subject of what he's talking about, making entirely no sense.

Whilst a General (or other military officer), literally stands behind him all the time.

You then might actually realise that Mugabe has lost the plot entirely, has gone senile and is being used by the military as a front.

ZDERA has not been used or implemented.

Not once has Zimbabwe applied for anything from any multi-lateral finance institution and had that application denied because of ZDERA.

In fact just a couple of months ago Zimbabwe were "gifted" $510m by the IMF to help with weathering the global downturn.

The Zanoids and Mugabe need to explain just exactly what has caused economic collapse in Zimbabwe with particular reference to ZDERA.

What also needs to be explained is why Mugabe has deliberately refused to give any of the new farmers title to the land they are now occupying. Every single resettled farmer is there on an offer letter which can be withdrawn at any time and for any reason. The 99 year leases likewise can be revoked at 90 days notice without any reason. The land no longer has any cash value because it can't be sold, bequeathed or pledged against a loan as collateral.

The people , black Zimbabweans, don't own the land. The commercial farming land , 11m Ha, is now state land and is allocated and withdrawn by fiat. This is one of the major reasons the farmers are struggling to farm or develop their land. No security of tenure.

The lack of training, labour, interest, infrastructure and money have all combined to destroy commercial agriculture and with it a great swath of our economy.

These Zanoids know these facts to be true but find it much easier to blame external causes which are frankly insignificant when weighed against the incompetence and political patronage that has characterized this so called Land Reform. It was Mugabe's biggest blunder and all because he suddenly discovered in 2000 that we didn't love him any more.

I am always agast at the platforms the world gives this prick. What an absolute doos. Aside from the fact that Bob is correct when he says the West(Read America and UK) is an imperialistic, facist bunch of blood sucking bastards. Bob has completely screwed up a great country. For this he should be sent the Hague to face criminal charges and sent to jail for the rest of his life. (The way he is going that could be 50 years)

If Mugabe genuinly believes that he can do without the west, why then is he asking them (west) to remove sanctions. He must move forward with/without the sanctions because he thinks he can. It has become characteristic of him talking about the removal of sanctions in all gatherings where ever he is given a stage and this only shows that the senile man feels the heat of the west and definitely knows that when they cough he freezes. Actually Mugabe should not fool the world, the land grab has benefited a few public servants/individuals around him at the expense of the deserving peasant farmer or people with farming expertise

@Alisdair...false hope being raised here. And we both continue to chew on this bone. Maybe at the 3 hour long speech-a-thons, he loses the plot, but when he sits on the other side of the desk and negotiates away the mineral sector the wiley old fox is there; and, of course, the generals. New book for you to read, by Prof Paul Collier, Wars, Guns and Votes; Democracy in Dangerous Places. Well written, based on solid fact.

Well said 2Boy! Blacks like Edward should stop being brainwashed and look at the core problems of Zim and they will be see who is guilty and who should be sent to the Hague..........

Like every fascist dictator before him Mugabe is blaming elusive enemies with hidden agenda's for his own horrible failures. He might as well be blaming the jews, or the catholics, of the french, or the Japanese.

Anyone who thinks that Mugabe has done the right thing is either a member of ZANU-PF or seriously retarded. Yes, I agree that the Zim land issue left much to be desired. Yes, I agree that there were reforms needed. But to go the way of the Zim govt?!?!?! It is a sorry situation and Bob Mugabe and his cronies need to answer to an international court for their sins. The amount of human suffering that they have caused cannot be quantified or justified. Zimbabwe will only start the long and difficult climb to normality once the stumbling blocks (ie ZANU-PF) have been removed.

2Boy and PSA tell us who you think owns the land now?

And who is to blame for the rampant corruption in Zimbabwe which is also playing a huge part in ruining the country's economy and impoverishing the locals - the "neo-colonialist enemies" too???

Transparency International has just released the 2009 CPIs (Corruption Perception Index), which measures the perceived level of public-sector corruption in 180 countries around the globe. The CPI is based on 13 different expert and business surveys. Zimbabwe scores a woeful 2.2 out of 10 (the lower the score, the more corrupt the country). By way of comparison, the UK scores 7.7. The only African country with an honourable score is Botswana, with 5.6, while South Africa hobbles in at 4.7, which means SA is in no position to judge on Zimbabwe.

Dear Quebecoise.

"Mugabe" has become a fron and symbol. The negotiators are not him, they are Manangwa (or whatever, who do the actual bones of it.

Mugabe only sits there and refuses to do nothing, like the media commission whose names he has had for the last month but refuses to announce.

Watch the video and see the actual man "in action" then remember the Mikado, who ruled in the name of the Emperor, who was was a powerless puppet, to the extent that at one point the Emperor had to sell his autograph for food.

Mugabe is nothing but a front, and increasingly shows the signs of rambling dementia. I know tyhis because I work frequently with Dementia patients.

Normally, on topics with regards to Zimbabwe, the most thrown around arguments are 'Wit gevaar'. Lame excuse to justify starving your countrymen, to imprison them without a trial. To torture and kidnap them. A good way to steal elections. Just throw the "Wit gevaar' card.

As for 2boy, PSA etc. You forget, that apartheid's end was hastened, via sanctions from the west. Lets hasten Mugabe's mad end, with continuous sanctions from the west.

No matter how you try and justify it, bob is killing the country, and his countrymen.

Ian smith, and the west, have nothing to do with it.

Mugabe's a flop. The End.

Well put Sinudeity. That should round up this forum for today. Thanks.

Alisdair Budd judging by your claims to be more knowledgeable about Zimbabwe based on what you read from websites I am not surprised at your wide off the mark claims. Mugabe always has his security or bodyguard standing behind so please don't try to mislead people into believing that his bodyguard is there to control him. He has had a bodyguard with him in public or public gatherings since time immemorial.

You are obviously a very gullibe individual to take Scott Ramsey's ignorant statement, "All the time while Mugabe spoke, a well-adorned military official stood behind the President. I never found it who it was, but judging from the age and uniform, it could have been a general." as a suggestion that Mugabe is controlled by the military. For an MI5 agent you are a disappointment.

Hey there FD , who owns the farm land in Zimbabwe?

"judging by your claims to be more knowledgeable about Zimbabwe based on what you read from websites I am not surprised at your wide off the mark claims" - Am I the only one who sees the irony here?

You having a good day, Fungayi? ;-)

Ironically the neo fascist imperialist is moooogabe himself...

@Edward Ndaba, you are an informed and intelligent Man not a feeble little mouse, ignore the forum trolls they always play South African Black pride "Africa is for Africans" , hypocritical wannabee heroes then they go out and kill a Zimbabwean for taking their job. Many internet cowards hide behind proudly this and that names and aren't worth a fart in the wind.

If the whites in Zimbabwe had the love of "their country" Zimbabwe none of this would have happened. The land would have been redestributed equitable and peacefully. But because they wanted to hang on to the land they had stolen from the natives of Zimbabwe it had to come to this forcefull removal. All they cared about was themselves and making more money while exploiting the natives in their own country.

I don't understand African's obsession with land. Land does not equal wealth. A piece of land in the hands of an average unskilled man is just a few hundred kg of maize every year. And when the next drought comes that piece of land is worthless and the unskilled man goes hungry. People are wealthy in Europe not because they own vast tracks of land.... but because they are educated and posses certain qualifications and skills.

If you want wealth then you should be striving for education. Not land. Land by itself will bring you nothing and land in the hands of the unskilled will result in all of us going hungry.

I support neither Mugabe or Tsvangarai. The later being the worst as he is a good for nothing "Ja Baas" boy who is remote controlled by the west.

I concur with Zuma, Mbeki and SADC on the Zim issue; we can only help Zim by assisting the leaders to come to some agreement, but they must be willing to clean their own mess.
Unfortunately, when 2 bulls fight, it is the grass that suffers. Poor Zimbos!!

thethinkingman, farm land belongs to the state for the benefit of the nation. If you need land apply to the ministry of lands with the type of farming you want to carry out. You will get an offer letter and then subsequently a 99 year lease. I hope that answers your question.

Dear FD

So how are the farmers meant to obtain a loan from the bank to develop these dilapidated farms if they do not own the title deeds to offer security?

Sounds like a big failure to me and not much thought went into this redistribution to the masses.

Jason Olivier I am not sure what's ironic about my statement except your obvious lack of intepretation. Alisdair Budd's knowledge of Zimbabwe is based on what he reads on websites like sokwanele, rhodesians, SWradio etc and I am not surprised that he is misinformed about the significance of a uniformed bodyguard standing behind Mugabe. Point being his sources of information are unreliable and misleading.

“illegal and inhuman sanctions on my country and its people”

Hey I am a Magic Genie and I have just granted Bobejaan his wish – all sanctions against Zimbabwe have been lifted.

Oh, you say there have never been any sanctions against Zimbabwe? Only against Bobejaan and certain members of the government?

Damm, these spells that were made in China never seems to work right.

@Soutie Biltong...u hit that nail right on the head.

The blacks want the land for 2 reasons; they see the accumulation of benefits as wealth after many, many years of effort, saving, planing and hard work and LUCK, and want the benefits. "I should have a house like that"...and having lived lives of quiet desperation on the eventually vastly overcrowded and un-improved Communal Lands, they want to continue living these lives with more land which can be under-improved and overpopulated. The so-called indigenous population of Zimbabwe rose from between 500,00-700,000 at the turn of 1900 to something around 12 million at the turn of 2000, overcrowded Communal Lands, and increasing flow to the cities, which are growing like Topsy.

I have absolutely no idea how stealing land will redress any social justice; new legislation fairly enacted, greater real education ( and please do not elieve the claptrap about the fabulous education system, those days are long gone); The daughter of my gardener in Zim used to call her father..."Hello may I speak to Jeffrey this is his daughter" "I'm sorry he has gone for the day." "hello may I speak to Jeffrey this is his daughter" was the response. She could speak 1 sentence in English, and yet I received the monthly school reports,written in English, about her courses given in English.

There is no solution, and I commend to you Professor Paul Collier's latest book; War, Guns and Votes; Democracy in Dangerous Places.

We must begin to speak about loudly against such claptrap.

Land Reform is harder than Chinese algebra. Even here in South Africa where all the efforts are taken to appease the decendants of the colonialists, the government still gets the middle-finger.

Well said 2Boy! Blacks like Edward should stop being brainwashed and look at the core problems of Zim and they will be see who is guilty and who should be sent to the Hague.......... Why PSA? isn't the Hague a white man's joint. It suits you now?
If chief looney hates the west so much why is he asking for their help? probably because it would come in the form of money which he very well knows what to do with.

Soutie Biltong if you know what a 99 year lease is then you would not ask about title. Banks offer finance on the basis of the long lease which if the farmer defaults will be assigned to the bank for the remainder of its tenure. A lease is as good as title deeds in terms of colateral security for bank loans depending on the number of years left on it for which 99 years for a bank loan is more than enough security. I would recommend you reading more on long leases.

I will also respond to your waffle about land not equalling wealth, if that wasn't the case there wouldn't be so much noise from the Rhodies would there? Land is the cause of so many wars in the world since the beginning of time because of its value to society and humanity. You sound like a simpleton so I will leave it at that.

@Alasdair, I'm not saying you're wrong, both my mother & grandmother ended their days with this dread affliction; I'm saying that he still signs the deals, and has lucid moments, and in some traditional way is still the leader; and most assuredly yes, we must beware of Manangagwa, Chiwenga, Piri and all the pals in the military leadership; as well as all the Chefs. Don't worry, they are still shuffling their feet to get their turn at the trough; getting rid of President Mugabe rids the Hydra of only 1 head.

Read Collier though, you'll enjoy it.

Ntlahla Mfingwana-It goe way beyond the land issue. What about massacring your own people? jailing and beating up opposition politicians? And what about the madman's vast wealth? does it come from genuine economic activity or is it stolen from the country's coffers. What does a police force in riot gear cruising the cities beating up anyone they want have to do with the land issue? The problem is that he doesn't think he's running the country, he thinks it belongs to him. Get your head out of the sand already!

FD the Rhodies that made a noise were the ones that were skilled at farming and their farms and livelihoods were taken away. I am sure you like to believe that they are now all living in a slum somewhere but you are wrong. Most (even the farmers) have moved on and are rebuilding their lives successfully elsewhere in the world- Why? Because they were educated (yes thanks to a onesided system- but still) and hard working. Do you think the Rhodies who were the accountants in Harare were that bothered? No they simply transferred out of there and are probably living in Canada enjoying the good life.

Do you really believe handing out parcels of land to poorly trained, unskilled masses is Africa’s answer?

FD yes wars have been fought over land but not anymore. In the modern world land itself is not the issue. Some of the richest people in the world don’t attribute their wealth to land. It is their skill sets. Buffet and Gates’ millions did not come from land.

Africans need to get over this idea that land is the answer. Obviously we need productive land to feed each other but if you think giving land to people will be their means out of poverty you are the simpleton.

LA QUEBECOISE: "The European farming population first arrived in Southern Rhodesia in the 1890s. In 1918, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London ruled that the land of Southern Rhodesia was owned by the Crown and not by the British South Africa Company.

After self-government was granted in 1923, the Southern Rhodesia House of Assembly created a legal framework for the (theft)/allocation of land(stealing by statute). The Land (Theft)/Apportionment Act of 1930 divided the colony's land into three areas: zones where only whites could own property; zones where only Shona or Ndebele could own property; and zones which were held in trust for indigenous peoples on a collective basis (called "tribal trust lands" per 1965 statute and "communal areas" per 1981 statute. One effect of the (theft)apportionment was that some Shona and Ndbele families were ejected from land they had held for generations. The Land (Theft)/Apportionment Act of 1930 formed the basis for subsequent laws and continued in effect until independence.

Zimbabwean whites, although making up less than 1% of the population, owned more than 70% of the arable land, including most of the best."

You said, "I have absolutely no idea how stealing land will redress any social justice." Who stole whose land here? Besides your obvious low regard for blacks at least being factual will help.

How much Shona/Ndebele/Tonga or Kalanga can you speak? Rhodesia is long gone, she does not need to speak English so she can work for you. That's why Mugabe is empowering blacks so they won't have to learn English to work for Baas like you. I knew you were prejudiced, you were just waiting for someone to give an inkling of an attack on blacks so you can pounce. Eat your English, Zimbabweans are educated enough to know what they need to know about life and one of the things is that people like you are oppressors and parasites. Learning to speak English is not education do not confuse the two.

Hey Fungayi, your BASIC mistake here is assumption that this is all about land. Land is an issue for you, personally I don't give a rat's @$$ who owns it. The problem here, that you seem to be missing, is that for the last 100 or so years, the world has evolved beyond primative subsistance into a system of barter of services. And money is the "promisary" note FOR the services. What your ZANU buddies have done, is destroy the faith in an Honour system that has been evolving since before Jesus graced us with his presence. They simply TAKE whatever they want and still expect people to honour agreements with them, when they have proven themselves dishonourable. The "indiginisation" of the mines was a logical next step. The larger companies have already had "indigenisation" happen. Soon a person will legally have to "indigenise" his wallet when called to do so by Bob and his ilk.

So yeah, there isn't much Bob and the rest of your family can do to suprise me. ;-) In fact, why is your uncle even IN Rome on the food conference if Zimbabwe does not need food aid. Or anything from the west? You either want help/guidance or you don't. You can't have it both ways. It's merely confirmation of the hipocracy that comes with that same lack of honour. To quote Kipling, "You have your freedom, oh ye wolves. Eat it..."

Dear Fungayi Dzvinyangoma,

My knowledge of Zim is much more than the internet, having visited it, at least, compared to you and the UK, as well as Cape Town, and its Townships full of Zim refugees.

I use the internet for readily accessible references, since most of the archives I usually use are not available, even if you can use the catalogue:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/search_results.aspx?&st=a&queryText=(++rhodesia++OR++zimbabwe++)&queryType=ALL

22,000 document references for Zimbabwe or Rhodesia at the UK Public Records Office, mostly coloniali records but also file copies of ZANU and ZAPU press releases.

As well as researching the Southern Africa art, music and culture, sometimes whilst eating meat over a griddle in a township with a computer set up on a car bonnet, connected to the speakers, playing Thomas Mapfumo, whilst Zim refugees watch their children play in the dirt and broken glass, scarred where they fell on a nail, and wondering what they will become with a school consisting of a converted shipping container.

Try researching (all) the archives, and the going and talking to first hand witnesses and primary sources. You then might find out what the high density housing dwellers that live behind the Main Train Station in Harare think of Mugabe and ZANU, like I did.

Because I was visiting some relatives and because the train station toilet was blocked up, whilst the wife was having her hair done.

Fungayi, a couple of points;

1) I am so tired of hearing about the "1% of the population, owned more than 70% of the arable land, including most of the best." This is such rubbish; I have a friend who was thrown off his farm and has the benefit of a degree in agricultural economics and is now employed by a bank, to look at mortgages being given to farmland by that bank in other countries. He said, a) that Zim farming land is nothing wonderful to begin with, and has only been made profitable by immense amounts of work and perseverance; the land which the original farmers occupied, on permission from the chiefs, who had originally granted them the right to search for gold and when no gold was found let them stay and farm was nothing to write home about. The farmers stayed and worked the land, and far from all of them were successful, and this poor land, was made into good arable land.

2) My knowledge of Shona has nothing at all to do with my work ability or my ability to provide for my family. How will this young woman be employed; she wants to be a nurse; where will she study; who will provide the Shona language text books for her; how will she acquire her knowledge and how will she update it. How can she communicate with anyone outside her immediate community?

Learning to speak English is a tool which will allow Zimbabweans to work with others in the world who do not speak Shona.

And her father, who is 40 years old, and speaks fewer than 100 words of English, and cannot write, and in fact had no gardening skills, how is he supposed to support himself and his family.

I think your arguments are bizzarre.

Alisdair Budd, I am from Murehwa Mupanguri Village born and bred, went to Chingwaru Primary School, Murewa Mission, Allan Wilson Technical High School in Harare. You only visited Zimbabwe, I could say the same about all the other countries I have visited. You are really desparate aren't you? I do not need to research about things I know first hand unlike you. You have an accademic appreciation of Zimbabwe I have a practical and natural appreciation.

So Fungayi can the 99 year lease be sold?

Can it be lodged as collateral against a bank loan?

Can it be bequeathed to ones descendants?

Why do you suppose Mugabe doesn't want the individuals to actually own the land?

I know why, do you?

I say Fungayi, who named you? Was it someone with a sense of humor and a partial knowledge of the Italian Vulgate?

thethinkingman I may have to school you on what a long lease is but that's not why we are commenting here. A 99 year lease is a bankable document with which you can borrow money from a bank against it. Like I said before if you default the bank will take over the lease for the remainder of the tenure. It can be inherited by your family. This is the system in many countries including the UK were leases are the order of the day including for houses and apartments due to few people having freehold title to most of the land. It's not unique to Zimbabwe so please disabuse yourself of this belief that all that this is a strange and ill thoughtout procedure.

LA QUEBECOISE, like I said before I will say it again. Your friend is white, lost his unfairly gained privilege and is bitter. What else could he say when all we hear are Rhodies denying the attrocities they committed against Africans while annexing land. You talk of chiefs allowing them to take the land and work it, I hope you also know about Chief Makoni who was beheaded for resisting the theft of his land? I also hope you know of Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi who were hanged for resisting the colonial occupation of their land. You obviously heard of Chief Mapondera who died in prison in 1904 for resisting the seizure of his land by the colonialists.

Which chiefs exactly in Mashonaland allowed the settlers to prospect for gold then settle and farm? Are you trying to rewrite Zimbabwean history to suit your Rhodesian agenda? Your gardner's daughter does not need to be proficient in English to get by. Her father like you said worked for you and still managed to get by with his illiteracy but you employed him all the same. He can do exactly what he did to get a job with you or if he wants to be empowered he can apply for land and start farming. You were obviously taking advantage of his inability to read or write by underpaying him judging by what you think of him.

By the way the Shona were already farming long before the Rhodies came. Farming did not come with the settlers we were doing it, that's how the Rhodies realised that the soil was good for agriculture. Do your research more with an open mind not the prejudice you have displayed so far.

@ Fungayi. Re my gardener; he was, as is said in Zim, 'a common labourer'; he could sweep leaves, and cut grass; he had almost no knowledge of gardening, except some bits that he had learned form some previous employers. He had had a series of 'odd jobs' at harvest time; and until he had the job with us, he had slept on the floor of some distant relative's garage in exchange for doing odd jobs around his compound. Jeffrey's daughters missed 2 years of school because he had no money to pay school fees; He had no skills to become a 'new farmer', he could only sweep up and mow the lawn.

In exchange for working for us, he received a salary; brand new accomodations with water and electricity which we, not ZIMWA or ZESA, provided, as well as food staples; bread and milk, and eggs when we could get them, we shared all them. He also received all his medical care, which was considerable; we paid school fees and books for his 2 girls for the 3 years he worked for us.

Despite this, the gardener stole from us, and allowed strangers into our property and kept them there until we found out about it. While we were away, he took my car, drove it and damaged it, and lied about it. He had girlfriends and while this is funded from his money, and he has the right to spend it as he wished, it is a bit tough to pay for his family while he indulges himself.

You delude yourself Fungayi if you think that all the peasant, subsistance farmers will bring forth a new lush agriculture. But good luck to you if you think it will happen.

Thethinkingman and Jason Oliver speak the most sense because Fungayi and all other nationalists excluding Mr "Mugabe" can't get a grip of the idea of individual ownership. Mr Mugabe was offered the prospect of an internationally supported and financed Land reform within the terms of the Abuja Accord in 1998 to which he gave his middle finger. he unilaterally embarked on his own agenda, not for the sake of land reform but for the sake of holding onto power. At least the commercial farmers and banks had the intelligence to establish their businesses with title deeds the majority of them still have locked away, Mugabe also supported them (just like he allegedly supports the new farmers)until they were percieved to go against his power. What will the new farmers have when they don't tow the line- "No title deeds" that's for sure.
As with your currency, your honour(chibvumerano)isn't worth anything.
"Neo-Colonialist" has a chinese ring to it, don't you think?

@Johann Braunstein. Yes Thethinkingman and Jason do make sense, as do you. The point of baiting Fungayi, is to show everyone the level of racism and anti-white hatred rife in Zimbabwe. That coupled with overwhelming disdain for the rule of law and any civility whatsoever, as the current 'leadership' completely demolished a country. This has to be the first of its kind, and no one should hold any delusions whatever that there is hope for this poor bedraggled country.

FD is a lying Zanoid who is deliberately misleading you all.

I live in Zimbabwe and I have a deep knowledge of the situation here.

The fact is the 99 year lease is not transferable, it says so in no uncertain terms. It cannot be sold in default so it is absolutely no use as collateral.

Mugabe knows that a man with secure title to his land can be independent of political parties because he can leverage his land and so become economically independent. Economic independence leads to political independence leaving the individual free to act in his own enlightened self-interest.

Msika put it to me quite succinctly almost 20 years ago when he said that "if the black Zimbabwean owns title to his land he will sell it back to the white man". You can see the thinking behind this quite clearly.

Mugabe's land policy is designed to keep black Zimbabweans poor and on the land scrabbling from sunrise to sunset just trying to stay alive with the constant fear of being kicked off his land if he doesn't tow the party line.

Poverty here is a consequence of deliberate policies. Mugabe removed 11m Ha of valuable land from the national balance sheet and that destroyed our economy while ensuring his political stranglehold would be maintained. Furthermore Mugabe has used the Land grab as a blanket he has thrown over any criticism of him and his party, claiming that all criticism is just an attempt to get the white boys back on the land.

What is astonishing to me is the fact that a significant number of people living outside Zimbabwe have accepted this argument while only a handful of the connected here at home even pretend to believe this nonsense.

Farming output and national development here will only improve when the farmers have legal, defensible, title to their land.

It's amazing how many Zimbos we've got in the site. I wonder whether are they defending Mugabe whilst are in Zimbabwe or are the in South Africa. But I bet all of these Mugabe defenders are in South Africa. To download internet in Zim can costs one $90000000000000000000.

Mphaphuli: FD is actually sitting in the UK somewhere, spreading his propaganda from a safe continnent.

thethinkingman: Thanks for the info.

thethinkingman, the leases are bankable and can be used as colateral against bank loans. You can go on with your misinformation but we all know that just as the sun will rise again tomorrow the truth will come out anyway. You also have to remember that it's only those who want to engage in commercial farming A2 model who get 99 year leases to ensure that they fully utilise the land. If you do not utilise it the lease will be terminated. It's better than having absentee landlords sitting in the British House of Lords while holding on to Zimbabwean land.

Follow this lead and read for yourself all the myths passed off as fact by the anti-land reform lobby.

http://www.lalr.org.za/news/a-new-start-for-zimbabwe-by-ian-scoones

Colonisation was morally wrong - regardless of how inferior or backward the natives might have been and we are now witnessing a backlash to it, and I predict with much worse still to come. That said, the manner in which some Africans are going about making adjustments is also wrong and hugely destructive to the people of this continent. We tend to cut off our noses to spite our face and fail to see reason or logic. Problem with Mugabe is that he uses the colonialists as scapegoats to camourflage all his wrongs - he is a far worse tyrant and oppressor compared to his predecessor, that racist Ian Smith.

"Follow this lead and read for yourself all the myths passed off as fact by the anti-land reform lobby.

http://www.lalr.org.za/news/a-new-start-for-zimbabwe-by-ian-scoones " - Heya Fungayi... Why are you quoting a "lying westerner"? ;-)

Makes for some interesting reading. BUT you forget, while there are some success stories, overall Zimbabwean agriculture is incapable of feeding Zimbabweans. Agriculture in Zimbabwe was good 200 years ago too. BUT it was only capable of feeding a fraction of the present day population. And while I'm sure Prof Scoones gave accurate figures for the number of farms owned by "civil servants" I highly doubt it takes into account the farms owned by Graceless wives/spawn/hangers on of all the various civil servants. And the fact that the figure sits at 14% of all resettlement for "civil servants" begs the question of how much more is owned by the same "civil servants" dependants. Never mind why they have a second "job", which will probably explain why both jobs are suffering. ;-)

Farming is not a hobby. It's a full time occupation. And saying that "only" 14% of the resettled people were "cronies" or "connected" is still immoral. Apart from the whole idea that people who HAVE employment and commitments, also have land to part time farm. Especially after all the rhetoric about "absentee land owners".

And hence the "myths" about land reform are not as "mythical" as you'd like to believe...

Ephraim Molai you do not have to appease the Rhodies. Mugabe can never be worse than Smith. Mugabe has his faults but to say he is worse than Smith is just clear lunacy. Stop sucking up mate.

A mentally retarded arrogant criminal - put him away for good - what a revolting nation

@the thinking man is completely correct, but he doesn't go far enough;

in addition to title, Zim agriculture benefitted from 100+ years of experience, trial and error and knowledge, much of which was banked in the various agricultural institutes around the country which have also been destroyed, not since 2000 but since 1980, when experienced agriculturalists were thrown out to make way for inexperienced young blacks. The pity was that the new would not 'piggy back' and learn from the experienced, and so all the public knowledge was lost.

Thethinking man, the banks are underfunded and if you had your money in a bank, would you want it 'invested' in land, farmed by a subsistence farmer who didn't know how to manage his former plot?

Fungayi, to illustrate what I mean I have just this minute read a very disturbing report about how Father Thamm, a Roman Catholic Priest from Banket was seriously beaten up by one of your soldiers at a roadblock - he was conveying a child to hospital. These senseless beatings does our African cause no good, no matter how you try and justify these acts. You must be commended for the way you attempt to protect your leader but you are part of a regime that is so disgustingly evil. In your books anything hostile to Mugabe is pro Rhodie hey?

Oh Ephraim, you only get part of it; unless you live there, you don't read about the doctors, both white and black, often women, who spend their weekends at the hospital emergency rooms sewing up blacks and whites who were beaten up by ZANU PF thugs. Two I know live under death threats, one is a paediatrician who treats children sexually abused by the Green Bombers.

Jason Olivier, there is one fact that all you self righteous white folk always forget. The civil servants are all black Africans, formerly marginalised in their own country as well victims of displacement by the colonial regime. The civil service is the single largest employer in the country so there is nothing sinister about them making up 14% of the beneficiaries. What is important is that they are utilising the land.

I think focusing on Grace Mugabe is just being trivialistic. The Campbells in Chegutu had more than 4 farms before land reform and I am sure you had no problem with that because they are white. They even gave one of the farms to their British son-in-law one Ben Frieth who has all of a sudden become the posterboy of Rhodie resistance. Ben only came to Zimbabwe in 1996 when the issue of land was already a hot potato.

Everybody knows that farming is not a hobby and what Professor Scoones has exposed is the hypocrisy and complicit of the western media in its one sided coverage of land reform in Zimbabwe. All the stories are about doom and gloom and according to the good professor this is all a myth. Just like any transformation there are failures and successes. Do not read the research report with blinkers on just looking for the negatives. You need to move away from that because I can foresee another report coming out in 5 years time with more successes across the country in terms of production and productivity.

I first saw Scoones's report on the BBC news website and the speed with which it disappeared after that was amazing. Someone must have been fired at the Beeb for publishing it in the first place.

@Tendani Mphaphuli, You're right. when I left Zim in August, my internet bill was USD 600 a month!!!! for the lowest possible bandwidth. And you couldn't pay with ZIM $.

The Great Betrayal ISBN 1-85782-202-1

yep, read it. and read Paul Collier's latest book; Guns, Votes and WAr; Democracy in Dangerous Places, and his previous book, the Bottom Billion. Loads of good, accurate stuff at Exclusive Books

I will not make news about common assaults because that could have happened in any country. You cannot magnify it just because it has happened in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the report is to give the impression that white priests are now being targeted and yet we do not really know what transpired. Until we have all the facts and the ministry of foreign affairs has responded I wouldn't pass judgement.

Yes, just like the elderly both couples and widows, who were beaten and robbed in time for the ZANOID faithful to do their Christmas shopping last year. My GP treated 16!!

You go for it Fungayi.

Anyone who recommends someone to read Ian Smith's book The Great Betrayal might as well recommend people to read Adolf Hitler's book about the superior race or the KKK manifesto.

Fungayi, you totally missed the point I was making. I will spell it out to you. Civil servants ALREADY have jobs. Ergo they CANNOT be farmers. Both jobs require full time attention if they are to be done properly. HENCE, said civil servants should either be civil servants, OR farmers. Like I said, these are an example of the "absentee landlords" that your uncle and his klingons used to justify the land grab originally. OR they are not doing their jobs as civil servants, because they are FARMERS. HENCE, they shouldn't be civil servants.

And focusing on Grace may be trivial in your eyes, because she is your aunty perhaps? Or is it merely because you are blind to the wrong doings of your "own kind"? At least you appear to realise that what she is doing is wrong, no matter how "trivial"... ;-)

And FYI, I didn't read the report with "blinkers" on. I read it, as an "indigenous" Zimbabwean. Scoones did look on the bright side, but is clearly NOT Zimbabwean and has overlooked the hipocracy and greed of the people in charge. I forsee another "optimistic" report in 5 years that tells of the "success" of the land grab, while the average Zimbabwean does not have adequate food for themselves and their families. And the Average life expectancy is not much more than it is already. AND one Fungayi Dzvinyangoma STILL in London enjoying the good life while telling everyone how GREAT life in Zimbabwe is... ;-)

Jason Olivier, typically you ignored the Campbells who owned more than 4 farms before land reform even giving one to their British son in law who only came to Zim in 1996. Now if it was ok for them to have more than one farm then Grace should have as many as she can manage. She is also utilising the farms judging by the furore over her milk deliveries to Nestle by those who want black farmers to fail. Another fact which the press never mention for obvious reasons is that most of the farms were given to charities run by Grace such as former street children and orphans. For political mileage they must all be said to belong to Grace so that the world will be outraged.

Go to Iron Mask Farm and come back and tell us again that it now belongs to Grace. The Chinese have even built houses there for the former street children who are being trained to farm and other projects.

Another thing is why would Scoones focus on the negatives when his purview was to have an objective analysis of the changes that have taken place after land reform. Noone ever said the land reform was implemented perfectly but what Scoones managed to disprove was the lie that only Mugabe's cronies are benefitting. He also disproved the lie that agriculture has totally collapsed.

Lancaster House Agreement-Dishonoured. U N chartered Bilateral Investment agreements-Dishonoured. Letters of no Interest for farms purchased after Independence-Dishonoured.Abuja land reform agreement 1998-Dishonoured.Zimbabwe Dollar- Dishonoured and defunct .2001-8 elections-Fraudulent and Dishonoured.SADC brokered GNU agreement- Currently dishonoured. Common Signatory to all of these = Dishonourable.

Fungayi,
I suggest you read the report more critically. There is a huge difference between small farms and large productive ones. In his own words, Scoones talks about growing enough to keep the family going for a year. Yeah fine - and compare that with the way Zim used to export food on a massive scale.
Mugabes way = poverty for the nation.

Now, if you want to close your eyes to inconvenient truths - just like the Nats used to do - then so be it. But if so, you're no different to your former colonial rulers in their blinkered approach...

A simple story: when Mugabe started in power, he spoke of a new beginning and how Zimbabweans of all races would work together. When the risk of him losing an election became too great, he changed his tune. If this is your example of a great man, then god help Africa...

Mugabe was a socialist/communist manifesto wen he came in2 power..but he cud nt realise and practise wat he believed in especially after hevin noted wat hapened 2 Mozambique...thats y he retained the white farmers n even allowed Smith 2 live in Zim n criticise him @ length.the only prob he faced was that the land issue was shelved 4rm Lancaster House.10yrs dwn the lyn there was no wilin buyer wilin seller..10years dwn the lyn they give BoB ESAP which was 2 go against the policies that he had embarked on lyk free health n education..abt the recent spate of violence well that started with the gukurahundi epoch n the west sed nutin abt it..so y do they want 2 start sayin sumtin abt violence 20 odd yrs later??the issue at stake is wat is the way 4ward 4 zim n othat african nations wat do we learn 4rm the action of Bob n the way in which the West dictated the pace at which african economies are run??

why cant we switch presidents and bring mugabe here to solve some race issue , surely he knows how to keep a white people in their places, what do you think?

ok, so that's it! Lanmd to the people and wealth to the liberators. All the injustices of the past have been rectified and our black brothers now own the most fertile land. where is the problem then? Zimbabweans are not hungry and there is no crisis in Zimbabwe! We are all happy and we are all unified under one great leader! That is African diplomacy!

The decrepit state of Zimbabwe today is a directly result of a decrepit lunatic trying to hang on to power. Mugabe is right up there with the worst there's ever been - in a pantheon populated by a Smarty box of colours and creeds. Its a human thing, not black or white. But over here we have this thief begging at the doors of those he so despises. Its pathetic.

Africa 4 Africans: Sure, and lets bring adolf hitler back from the dead while were at it, and make him president of SA.

argue and comment and rant and rave; put forward lucid good arguments and factual history; blame the whites, blame the blacks.

none of this matters. there is a massive unemployment ratio in zim, starving people, complete breakdown of the currency. all this under mugabe. the 20 000 matabeles that he massacred in the 80's - is this fact or fiction ?

who is supporting mugabe here ? when you do that, you support a brutal murderous dictator who destroyed his country and made starvation, misery and death amongst his own people.

these are the facts. no argument will change them.