Posted on 06/28/2002 5:30:17 PM PDT by Clive
AT least 50 beleaguered Zimbabwean commercial farmers have applied for land leases to the Mozambican government after they were ordered to cease operations or face imprisonment in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Independent has established.
Reports from Mozambique say 50 farmers have submitted requests for land leases since President Robert Mugabe's controversial land reforms took a turn for the worst with a May 10 amendment to the Land Acquisition Act. The amendment stipulates that a farmer should stop farming 45 days after being served with a notice of acquisition and subsequently vacate the property at the end of another 45 days.
Zimbabwean farmers are also relocating to Zambia, Uganda and Namibia. There is also demand for them in Australia and New Zealand.
The Mozambican Agricultural ministry said in a statement 13 Zimbabwean farmers had been allocated farming leases. Mozambique prohibits the sale of land to individuals or companies.
"The 13 farmers will be settled in the fertile central province of Manica and each will be given 1,000 hectares of land in line with Mozambican law that allows land to be leased for up to 50 years," the statement said.
Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) spokesperson Jenni Williams said they were aware some farmers were moving to Mozambique. "The CFU is aware that a number of farmers from our membership are already farming in Mozambique and a lot more are planning to move there and other countries in the region with conducive farming conditions," said Williams.
The Mozambican government said the farmers were given land in the districts of Barue, Mavonde and Vanduze in Manica province, which borders Zimbabwe. Mozambique, also facing a crippling drought, is set to take advantage of Mugabe's controversial land reforms to attract the experienced farmers viewed as the best in the region.
Over 2,900 Zimbabwean white commercial farmers issued with Section 8 orders were ordered to stop all farming activities on Monday.
Beginning to feel more and more that Mugabe is playing out some kind of Stalin fantasy.
It's about time.
L
This might be a good thing for Mozambique but not for the farmers in the long run. As foreign tenants they will have few if any rights and should there be any government changes they will probably find themselves in the same position they are in now. Maybe sooner. The Mozambique government could, once the famine is over, kick them out and re-claim the land along with any improvements.
Man, I have gotten cynical in my old age.
a.cricket
Remember, this wheel has already turned once before in mozambique. That country is now a hellhole of human misery, but when it was a Portugese colony, it had a thriving agricultural sector. The Portugese had built magnificent plantations that were incredibly profitable for themselves and the mozambique economy.
But, african "nationalists" saw the blatant inequality (how come the white man has all of the best farmland in our country?). The africans began a violent revolution and ultimately expelled the portugese...seizing their farms much like Mugabe in Rhodesia.
Now, mozambique is a nightmare of filth, starvation, and economic collapse (and, not conincidentally, no longer has a significant portugese population)
These Rhodesian farmers will move to remote wastelands of mozambique, will work their tails off, and will establish a thriving agricultural sector. They will employ thousands of africans, and provide their workers with schools and health clinics (just as they did in Rhodesia).
Then, some african "mugabe-wannabe" will begin to agitate about how outrageous it is that these white devils make so much money. And look at their farms? Its obvious that they stole the best land from the africans.
The farms will be seized, and the wheel will turn all over again.
Enjoy the famine you thieves.
Man, I have gotten cynical in my old age.
Cynical? I don't think so.
When Castro took over power, our families left Cuba. My first cousins and I left Cuba as either children or very young adults. All of us now own our own businesses and are financially successful. However, one cousin established himself in Bermuda, one in Guatemala and one in Venezuela.
The Bermuda cousin has nothing to worry about. However, I keep telling the other two to get out of those countries.
"But our property and our businesses are here and yada, yada, yada."
"So what?", I tell them. "All the money you have is not worth taking the risk of staying in Third World tinderboxes. If not for yourself, think of the future of your children. Sooner or later, those tinderboxes are going to up up in flames. My kids don't have to worry about such things. Your kids or your grandkids do."
It's time for those white farmers to immigrate to Australia or Canada or the USA. If not for their sake, then for the sake of their children and grandchildren.
And instead of using the money confiscated by hard working taxpayers of the USA for internal concerns of the citizens of the USA, the rest of the world will cry out for USA taxdollars to feed the starving Zimbabweans.After all, these poor people have to eat something.We are controlling/racist/cruel/evil/selfish etc to let the thought cross our minds that possibly, it is not a problem the USA should arbitrarily attempt to resolve for another nation intent on establishing self rule.
May I suggest they enjoy their own bitter harvest first?.It would be patronising, insulting, and just wrong to these people if we, as a foreign nation, ruined the desired results of their sovereign leaders planned designs.
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