Zimbabwe -- US blasts farms' seizure

Financial Gazette (Zim) ^ | June 27, 2002 | Staff Reporter

[Clive]

THE United States has blasted the government’s seizure of commercial farms, saying the exercise has led to gross human rights abuses and compounded Zimbabwe’s political and economic crises.

A US State Department spokesperson said the government-backed land seizures had exacerbated the food crisis in Zimbabwe and southern Africa.

"A fundamental duty of every government is to put in place the legal and policy framework to enable its citizens to feed themselves, a duty that the government of Zimbabwe has wilfully scorned at great cost to the people of Zimbabwe and the region," the spokesperson noted.

The US aired its concerns as most white commercial farmers in Zimbabwe this week started the countdown to a 45-day deadline to cease farming operations just when the country is facing severe famine.

Washington said the shortfall in Zimbabwe’s agricultural production was in a very large measure due to the government-sponsored seizure of commercial farms and its failed economic policies which were having a direct impact on food availability and prices throughout the region.

The US also lamented the destruction of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, once one of the most developed and productive in southern Africa.

"The destruction of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector will take years to fix, if ever, thereby consigning Zimbabwe — once a prominent agricultural exporter — to the role of food importer and aid recipient," the spokesperson said.

The US said it will continue to provide food assistance to help the most needy in Zimbabwe, but stressed that the Harare government bore much of the responsibility for the country’s growing humanitarian crisis.

United Nations agencies say at least six million Zimbabweans - other statistics say up to 7.8 million - need emergency food aid between now and next year out of a population of 12 million because of the disruption of farming caused by seizures of commercial farms and drought.

[Clive]

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[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[happygrl]

"The destruction of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector will take years to fix, if ever, thereby consigning Zimbabwe — once a prominent agricultural exporter — to the role of food importer and aid recipient," the spokesperson said.

Similiar to the Ukraine, breadbasket of Europe before the communist totalitarians imposed communal farming.

Yes, it may well be the 22nd Century before Southern Africa comes round to its second chance for freedom and prosperity for its people.

This was all so unnecessary.