Posted on 12/03/2002 10:41:51 AM PST by backhoe
From The Daily News, 2 December
Famine looms as commercial farms reduced to zero activity
Geoffrey Nyarota
As Flight SA020 descended in preparation for touchdown at Harare International Airport last Monday the intercom crackled into life overhead and an authoritative voice made an unusual announcement. "This is your captain speaking," the voice said. "Passengers occupying a window seat on either side may wish to look below to see how commercial farming is fast disappearing from Zimbabwe." Passengers, including those like me who were not occupying a window seat, responded and were reeled in shock. Their aerial inspection of the fast changing landscape below presented them with a forlorn picture of what the commercial farming sector has degenerated to in the 34 months since the first farm was invaded by a group of war veterans in the Masvingo area to signal the advent of government's agrarian reform programme, an exercise which has been marred by lawlessness and violence. What the passengers on Flight SA020 saw along their flight path was a scene of zero farming activity on commercial farms in the Beatrice and Harare South commercial farming area. While listeners and viewers of radio and television have been bombarded with the outrageous propaganda spewed out day and night by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation to extol the virtues of their country's new agrarian revolution spearheaded by the new farmers what the passengers on this flight and, no doubt, passengers on other flights, local and international see as they fly in and out of Harare is a totally different story. It is a story of desolation and total waste. Quite evidently there is little farming activity, let alone an agricultural revolution taking place on the commercial farms that once elevated Zimbabwe to the status of bread basket of the region along with South Africa. The new farmers in the Beatrice and Harare South areas are quite obviously not part of the new revolution that became the centrepiece of the optimistic propaganda that the draughtsmen at the Ministry of Information started to churn out before the first crop of the much anticipated rainy season had even taken root.
The resettlement programme has been bedevilled by a serious shortage of tractors, seed and fertilisers. There is a serious shortage of fertiliser in the country. A bank official who spoke on condition he was not identified said last week his bank's agric-business department was processing and approving, hundreds of applications from new farmers for loans. "Normally this process is over by August," he said. "But we are still processing hundreds of applications from people who say they want to buy tractors and other implements and inputs for this season. It's chaotic, but we are giving them the money, sometimes without full assessment of viability and without security." He said A2 Scheme farmers were receiving loans of up to $10 million. "Some government ministers are receiving up to $70 million. They say they want to buy combine harvesters. Some have old loans that they have not repaid or been servicing." In order to avoid jumping to a negative conclusion over government's much publicised agrarian reform on the basis of observations made from the air in only a part of the country, The Daily News last week chartered light aircraft to fly extensively over other commercial farming areas. This was to establish whether the pattern was the same there and to ascertain the extent or lack thereof of farming activity by the new settlers, many of them members of the war veteran community but others who are civilians resettled in orderly fashion as part of the A2 Scheme on productive land from which the previous white owners were forcibly, and in some cases, violently evicted over the past 34 months, as part of government's land resettlement programme. The chartered plane flew a Daily News photographer over the rich commercial farming area of Mazowe Valley to cover the Bindura and Concession areas, before veering off south east-wards to fly over the equally rich Marondera and Hwedza areas. A common observation in all areas was the almost total absence of land preparation for the new season in the commercial farming areas. It was also quite apparent that no winter crops were harvested. It was also evident that the occasional farming activity, which the traveller sometimes observes in the commercial farming districts is limited to the roadside, the favourite haunt of farm invaders.
The pictures published on this page are an example of what one sees from the air as one flies from Harare to Bindura via Concession and Glendale, where there is unequivocal evidence of almost zero farming activity. Similarly non-existent farming activity was observed in the Marondera/Hwedza area, despite the abundance of water, including irrigation schemes. The fact simply has to be accepted by the most ardent supporters of the current agrarian programme - it has been the cause of the total or near collapse of serious commercial farming activity in those areas covered by The Daily News flight. It becomes a logical assumption that it could be this serious decline in productive agriculture, rather than last season's drought situation that was the major cause of the current dire shortage of food, with little prospect that the haphazard planting of a few resource-strapped new farmers will make up for the national loss. Since the wave of government-sponsored farm invasions started in earnest in 2000 some 3 000 white commercial farmers have been evicted, some violently, from their farms. More than 10 members of the commercial farming community lost their lives in the period. Only 600 farmers remain on their farms, being engaged in full-scale or limited farming activity. There are unofficial reports that government is currently encouraging selected farmers either to return to their farms or to increase production. An estimated 900 000 farm workers have been displaced over the same period. The Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe, which is assisting displaced farm workers, reports that more than 150 000 farm workers and their families were displaced in August alone, when their employers were evicted by government's agrarian reform programme. Meanwhile, United Nations agencies estimate that 6,9 million Zimbabweans currently face starvation. The shortage of basic food stuffs has become acute in both rural and urban areas. There may be a deluge of rain this season. In the commercial farming sector the rains will fall, in most cases, on untilled land with little prospect of contributing towards the alleviation of the current spectre of starvation on a massive scale.
From IRIN (UN), 2 December
Government denies tensions with Botswana
Johannesburg - Zimbabwe on Monday said a decision to recall its high commissioner to Botswana was part of a broader government reshuffle and had nothing to do with President Festus Mogae's recent criticism of the country's political and economic policies. "A number of ambassadors have been affected by the changes and reports suggesting that the commissioner in Gaborone was recalled because of some kind of worsening relationship between Zimbabwe and Botswana is simply not true," political counsellor at Zimbabwe's High Commission in Botswana, Tamuka Muranga told IRIN. But one analyst said Mogae's comments would have certainly angered Zimbabwean authorities and the removal of High Commissioner, Zenso Nsimbi, from Gaborone was evidence of that. Last month Mogae told the London-based African Business magazine that Zimbabwe's deepening political crisis was due to a "drought of good governance". "Mogae is the only African president who has publicly raised concern over the political upheavals in Zimbabwe. By recalling the high commissioner from Botswana, President Robert Mugabe certainly wants to send a clear message to Gaborone that Harare will not tolerate criticism," a senior researcher at the Institute of Security Studies Chris Maroleng said. Meanwhile, the Botswana Guardian reported that Nsimbi had been recalled following his inaction regarding complaints that Zimbabweans fleeing economic hardships in their country were being ill treated by Botswana authorities. Responding to the accusations, Mogae was quoted as saying: "This is a humanitarian crisis. We are trying to handle it as humanely as possible. But within the limits of our capacity, of our resources. We have no choice." Maroleng said Nsimbi's replacement would certainly be a "Zanu PF hardliner, somebody who could be tougher when it comes to defending the government's human rights record abroad". "It is unlikely that there would be total breakdown in diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and Botswana as there are diplomatic channels through which these tensions can be discussed. But what Mogae's comments makes clear is that not all African leaders support what is going on in Zimbabwe," Maroleng said.
From The Financial Times (UK), 2 December
Mugabe 'to blame for region's woes'
By Nicol Degli Innocenti in Johannesburg
The crisis in Zimbabwe is hurting the economies of the region, damaging trade relations and undermining efforts to reach closer integration, Pascal Lamy, the European Union trade commissioner, said at the weekend. "Southern African countries are paying a high price," Mr Lamy said at the end of a trip to southern Africa. "They know Zimbabwe is a mess, an absolute shambles. Their solidarity has cost them very dear. They have lost a lot of trade." Mr Lamy met ministers in all the Southern African Development Community countries, including the representative from Harare, to outline EU policy, boost trade co-operation talks and explain the benefits of trade liberalisation. Last week a meeting between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries had to be cancelled when the ACP representatives objected to the EU's exclusion of two Zimbabwean officials. The SADC has also criticised EU sanctions against Zimbabwe. But despite shows of unity, SADC is deeply divided over Zimbabwe. Botswana and Mozambique have been critical of President Robert Mugabe's policies, which they believe are undermining efforts at promoting good governance, developing their economies and attracting investment.
South Africa has focused on engaging with Mr Mugabe and keeping the channels of communication open. Yet South Africa's exports to Zimbabwe have dwindled and Mozambique has replaced it as its biggest African trading partner. "Peer pressure is the only way to address the crisis in Zimbabwe," Mr Lamy said. "SADC is the right forum to deal with the Zimbabwe problem. The main focus of my trip has been the encouragement and promotion of regional integration," Mr Lamy said. "It is the only way southern African countries can hope to compete with the strong economies of the developed world." Mr Lamy's trip is part of a renewed effort by the EU to improve relations with African countries. The lingering resentment towards the EU was partly due to a communications problem, Mr Lamy said, and partly to history: "The EU is seen as the former colonial power and the US is not. It boils down to a psychological thing. But in general, there is no doubt we are much more open than the US to South African imports."
From The Cape Times (SA), 2 December
Perlemoen poachers 'lived in luxury'
By Fatima Schroeder
Most of the 30 suspected members of a perlemoen poaching syndicate arrested in a Scorpions raid in Gansbaai on Friday, lived lavish lifestyles and drove luxury vehicles. This is according to Scorpions spokesperson, Sipho Ngwema, who said the syndicate had been monitored since early this year and was involved in poaching perlemoen worth millions of rand. A sting operation by Scorpions officials, accompanied by police, hit Gansbaai at 3am on Friday and made the last arrest at about 11am the same day. Those arrested were taken into custody in Gansbaai, Hermanus and Cape Town. Ngwema said the Scorpions were satisfied that they had arrested the "brains" behind the poaching operation. Two of the suspects were police officials, and another two had allegedly contravened bail conditions which restricted them to Saldanha Bay. Seven of the 30 appeared in the Hermanus magistrate's court on Friday and face charges of racketeering, corruption and contravening sections of the Marine Living Resources Act. The remaining 23, including the two police officials and the alleged kingpin of the syndicate, are expected to appear in court on Monday morning. Many of them are well known in their communities, said Ngwema.
Western Cape police spokesperson Rod Beer did not want to pre-empt any action against the two policemen, but added that apart from the criminal proceedings, the police officials could also face disciplinary action and a number of penalties, including suspension with or without pay, or a temporary departmental transfer. However, Beer stressed that the court proceedings and departmental action were separate. According to Ngwema, Friday's raid was not the last for perlemoen poachers. "We are going to bring down other syndicates as well. We are making sure we disrupt these criminal activities," he said. He said the Scorpions had been working on the crackdown together with other law enforcement agencies. However, he would not elaborate. The raid was carried out just days after Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa called on the country's law enforcement agencies to join the war against perlemoen poaching on the southern Cape coast. He had barely spoken when Betty's Bay residents contacted the Cape Times to say they could see divers lifting nets full of perlemoen. They said they had contacted the anti-poaching task force, Operation Neptune, but were told there were no vehicles available.
Western Cape Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said in a statement that Friday's raid was "just the beginning". "This problem will not be solved in the space of a week or two. It will require time because insufficient attention has been paid to this problem over a period of many years. "In the same way that the problem developed over many years, it will take a number of years to root out this criminality, once and for all," said Van Schalkwyk. "These criminal syndicates have made a major mistake in thinking that they can challenge the authority of the state and abuse poor people in these areas to fill their pockets. No one should underestimate our determination to root out this problem," he added.
Comment from ZWNEWS, 3 December
Jambanja
By Michael Hartnack
Orders went out quietly from Robert Mugabe's Cabinet in late November: "Jambanja (smash-and-grab) is over. It is time for return to the rule of law. We wanted something. Now we have got it so jambanja is finished." This seems in harmony with noises coming from the South African government that "even if mistakes were made" in the seizure of 5 000 white-owned farms and violent suppression of the opposition, Mugabe deserves a fresh start. Squatters building houses on unzoned land were ordered to move off; district administrators were told that although all whites served with seizure and eviction notices would have to quit, no more indiscriminate seizures of farms would be permitted. Harare sources say the inspiration behind this is Leonard Tsumba, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, who, with undoubted South African backing, is urging reconciliation with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to regain access to budgetary support, end the foreign currency crisis, and curb 142 percent inflation which the IMF believes will soar to 522 percent next year.
But "Jambanja is over" is easier to say than to accomplish, even with the good offices of the South African government. In reality, relations with Western nations, and thus the international monetary institutions, go from bad to worse; the economy is crashing; ordinary people are desperate; UN bodies warn of mass deaths from starvation within months; and the political manipulation of food aid is increasingly blatant. Last Saturday, at the National Sports Stadium, Mugabe himself spelled out how he views the "end of jambanja" when he reviewed the armed forces following their withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the height of four-year involvement, 14 000 Zimbabwean troops were deployed there. With attack helicopters and armoured personnel carriers on display for the first time, Mugabe made clear the menacing weaponry was intended for counter-insurgency duties at home. "Our forces have gone that extra mile in terms of combat readiness and would be more than prepared to use their experience and skill in dealing with aggression either at home or elsewhere." He still refused to reveal the cost either in cash or casualties, made the usual cracks about British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and told returning troops they would receive white-owned farms seized in their absence – "So you needn't worry, there is still a lot of land to parcel out."
The World Food Programme warned last Thursday 6,7 million people are at risk of dying before the next harvests. The WFP had aimed to feed three million people during November but failed. "We will all have to work non-stop over the coming months if we are to prevent millions from starving," said Kevin Farrell, the WFP chief representative. Families were surviving on wild fruits and filling their bellies with semi-poisonous tubers. WFP field monitors say many schoolchildren arrive at classes without having eaten, and commonly faint. Some children have dropped out altogether because of hunger, and many older pupils have quit school to seek work as casual labourers. Even those in formal employment were suffering due to omnipresent shortages of maize meal, bread, milk and sugar, said the WFP. Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo says that 160 have already starved to death in Matabeleland. And the next few months may be only the start. Even if good rains fall -and brilliant blue skies make this look increasingly unlikely - a maize crop cut to 800 000 tonnes by political disruption will not meet the 1,8 million tonne 2003-4 demand. No one now mentions the protestations of Agriculture Minister Joseph Made well into 2002 that the country had adequate food stocks and might not need to import any if grain "hoarded by whites" was seized. With Made-style disregard for the truth, the regime this week claimed it had succeeded in forcing down black currency market rates from Z$1 700 to Z$600 to one U.S. dollar. All that happened was that Zimbabweans trying to sell foreign currency were offered Z$600-US$1, to compensate for the greater risk faced by traders if found out, while those wanting to buy were asked upwards of Z$2 200-US$1. The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange crashed as officials tried to enforce impracticable price controls and exporters were ordered to surrender earnings to the authorities at the official rate of Z$55-US$1, while having to buy imported inputs at Z$2 200.
There are new reports of political interference in the distribution of food: children of suspected opposition supporters barred from supplementary feeding schemes in schools, food sales in which only those with ruling party cards dated before the disputed presidential election in March are allowed to take part. In Buhera, rural home of Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Chief Makumbe told workers for Christian Care who were about to distribute relief: "I don't want any food from the people who are sponsoring Tsvangirai to oust our legitimate leader, Mugabe. Go to other areas." American embassy staff assessing the food crisis among homeless and starving former farm workers near Harare were set upon by Mugabe's militants. The regime ignored US protests and responded by saying the USalan personnel were "trespassing," and that displaced farm workers do not exist. Finally, in a detailed report last week, Danish Physicians for Human Rights said the situation in Zimbabwe might be summoned up in a four-word slogan: "Vote Zanu PF or Starve!" "Starvation and death will occur on party political lines," warned the Danes. Among all the official truth-twisting statements, one smacks of the truth: the chilling announcement earlier this year by former Parliamentary Speaker Didymus Mutasa, now Zanu PF secretary for administration, that the party would rather see the population halved to six million - if they are all loyal supporters.
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