Monday, 2 December 2002
US stance on land rapped
Herald Reporter
NEW York City councillors have attacked the United States government for its
position on Zimbabwe�s land issue which they say is heavily influenced by a
biased former colonial power, Britain.
"We cannot expect Britain to have a neutral position on the land issue,�� the
councillors said in a report compiled after a two-week fact-finding tour in
Zimbabwe.
The report urges US to immediately lift travel restrictions against Government
officials and help kick-start dialogue between Zimbabwe and Britain.
"It would be difficult for the Zimbabwean officials to state their case to the
world if they are restricted from travelling to other countries.
"How can the US have dialogue with North Korea and Iraq, in the interest of
peace, while preventing Zimbabwean officials from travelling to articulate their
position?"
The US, they said, was supposed to be neutral and help resolve the dispute
between Zimbabwe and Britain instead of taking sides.
"Without an independent US position, it will be difficult to act as an honest
broker," they said.
"Some of the people in Zimbabwe are eager for independent facilitators to be
involved."
Britain, the country most hostile to the land reform pogramme, has also been
asked to assess its strategy of dealing with Zimbabwe.
"We urge the British government to reconsider its position and agree to
compensate white farmers for their land," the councillors said.
"In the process, it should also discuss compensation for the expropriation of
the land from the original African population."
The councillors said they had found that there were double standards when
Western countries, especially Britain and the US, talked about democracy and
human rights in Africa.
Zimbabwe, they said, had fallen victim to such double standards and was being
called undemocratic, but democracy was thriving in the country.
They called for increased commercial contacts and visits by ordinary Americans
to Zimbabwe, including the media, to observe the changes occurring in the
Southern African country.
They said their investigations had established that the land issue was
irreversible while media accounts on the programme were mostly exaggerated.
"We found a country where all sides agree that land reform is an idea whose time
has come," said the councillors.
New farmers, they said, were grateful to the Government for having been provided
with land while there was still a role being played by white farmers who had
accepted the new dispensation and were willing to accept the policy of one
farmer, one farm.
"In our meetings with various stakeholders affected by the land reform
programme, we found that allegations by the media against it are largely
unsubstantiated and are actually exaggerations or distortions of what is
actually happening there.
"We also found that despite a steady flow of Western media reports of
lawlessness, free-for-all land grab of commercial farms, this is not the case at
all."
The city fathers said they were convinced that increased agricultural
production, with the newly acquired lands by new farmers, would lead to economic
growth in Zimbabwe.
The projected famine that threatened not only Zimbabwe but all of southern
Africa, could not be substantially attributed to the land reform as had been
charged in some quarters.
The real cause of the famine was drought that affected food production in the
last season.
"The role of commercial farmers in staple food production has also been
exaggerated by Western media reports.
"White commercial farmers had long since abandoned crop farming and turned to
other more lucrative industries such as horticulture, tobacco, paprika, citrus,
game ranching and safari services," they said.
It was also stated in the report that allegations that President Mugabe was
giving land to his friends were surprising considering the number of people
resettled.
At least 300 000 families have benefited under the Model A1 scheme, while 40 000
others were allocated plots under the A2 Model.
"In light of that fact, we find the charge that President Mugabe only gives land
to his �cronies� not credible.
"We are hard pressed not to believe that anyone could have that many �cronies.�"
The councillors said they found a reasonably vibrant free Press in Zimbabwe,
contrary to international reports that the media was routinely suppressed.
The delegation was led by New York City Council Member Charles Barron and
consisted of other councillors and journalists.
It held meetings with President Mugabe, several Government ministers, members of
opposition parties, farmers and Non-Governmental Organisations.
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"Ivinicus factus sum veritabem diceus." ( I have become an enemy for speaking the truth ) St Paul!
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Mitayo Potosi
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