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Mugabe is great at giving or implying undertakings. Other African leaders such as Mbeki and Obasanjo are then quick to sieze on the actual or implied undertaking and act as if it had already been implemented.

They then use this supposed fact as an argument for the donor nations, IMF, sanctioning western powers to remove sanctions, allow Zanu PF to control food distribution, extend debt repayment limits, supply petrol, lift arms embargos, etc.

Once the argument has had its desired effect or once it is clear that it will not have its desired effect, the undertaking gets quietly abandoned.

BTW, it is too late for any commercial farmer to come back, reinstate the farm infrastructure, (including damaged drip irrigation lines, bore holes and mpound dams) obtain inputs such as fertilizer and seed, arrange borrowing, import fuel, and rehire their skilled workforce that hav scattered the ends of the earth. The southern hemisphere summer is well advanced, farmers at this point should be tending crops long since planted and be preparing for harvest, It is too late even for the coming winter planting.

This is not the rich black alluvial soil on which an indigenous farmer can plant a small plot with a pair of oxen and let nature take care of the irrigation and supply the nutrients. This is red soil veldt land. It takes capital, technology, expertise and experienced labour to bring in a commercial crop.