Zimbabwe
Zim Land reform produces mass unemployment

afrol.com, 4 September - The massive land reform initiated by so-called war vets and President Robert Mugabe produces more losers than winners. More than half a million farm worker have already lost their jobs and source of income, without gaining any of the redistributed land, the developmental journal Bistandsaktuelt yesterday reported.

The land reform is mostly noted for its chaotic implementation, or a occupy and name yours policy by the "war vets". There are no clear-cut guidelines for redistributing the land, and the Mugabe government is not able to identify persons with real, legitimate claims, nor the most deserving and needing segments of the population.

Meanwhile, the illegal farm occupations by "war vets" is continuing, and the political outlets of the occupants have lost control over the activists. Even the political leader of the occupants, MP Chenjerai Hunzvi, has condemned further occupations as the public opinion in Zimbabwe has lost patience with the lawless conditions on the countryside. It's too late, however. The occupants do not even listen to Hunzvi, as the occupation of a farm is the most secure way to "gain rights" to the land. The partitioning happens right there and than.

- In August, a team of journalists from the weekly magazine The Zimbabwe Mirror was denied access to an occupied farm some 10 km north of Harare, Bistandsaktuelt reports. The team wanted to make a report of how the new and "fast" land reform is to give land to hundreds of landless people. A security guard denied them access saying "You should have come here the first day, when the repartition of the land took place." All in the best hands...

While the "war veterans" are occupied managing "their" fields, more than half a million former farm workers complain that they have lost their means of livelihood. Earlier, they had a regulated and calculable income as permanent employed or seasonal workers on the farms owned by white Zimbabweans. Mostly not participating in the farm occupations, the former farm workers have not received much of the repartitioned land.

- Some people see us as traitors because we did not participate in the occupations, land workers have said to the journalists of Bistandsaktuelt. But people must understand. But people must understand that we couldn't invade our own work-place.

The change of hands also represents an enormous loss of competence in terms of farm management. While the former owners had competence in general management and the farm workers had competence and knowledge of day-to-day management. The loss of technical skills and competence in farm management by handing over the farms to people skilled in making war and occupying land can not be expected to produce positive numbers for the national economy. It should also be remembered that other countries that have gone through land reforms (there are many historical examples, even some quite successful), gave the land to landless farm workers with practical skills in managing farms.

MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai recently criticized the governments land reform programme, saying it only produces eternal poverty for all parts. The land isn't even surveyed and there are no roads, hospitals or other basic infrastructure attached to these units, he said.

Zimbabwe is presently living through its deepest economic crisis since independence. Unemployment has passed 50%, inflation has reached over 70%, there is lack of fuel and electricity all over the country and the public sector, namely health and education services, are in rapid decay. Meanwhile, the government has spent some US$ 200 million in its military engagement in Congo Kinshasa, the only profiting from this being Mugabe and colleagues investing in that country. Foreign aid has been cut dramatically in response to the fraudulent elections this summer, political killings, the general human rights situation and government support to the radical farm occupants. 

Source: Based on Bistandsaktuelt

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