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September 19, 2006
Why Zimbabweans are Starving
President Robert Mugabe's land redistribution program involved the seizing of prosperous commercial farms by his thugs and their allocation to his friends. Unfortunately, the nation that once exported its agricultural goods to surrounding countries now lies in economic ruin, unable to produce enough food to support its population.
One Zimbabwean who was forced to flee to Zambia recently returned to visit his former farm. He described...
(...)Nothing much had changed except that it was desolate, unkempt. No farming appeared to have taken place on the 2,000 once-productive acres since they were forced off. The homestead was still locked up, no one had moved in.Of course the farmer cannot return because his farm is now owned by someone else. As is typical, it was gifted to a senior police official who lives five hours away.(...) During the run-up to when they were forced to flee, the family were locked up in their house and surrounded by militants. Their farm workers had sided with former veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war, having been promised untold riches.
(...) Last week the workers greeted the farmer warmly, and begged him to return, saying they had no work, and were desperate.
Read the rest
SideNote: President Robert Mugabe has locked up, beaten and deported scores of journalists and Peta Thornycroft, a Zimbabwean, is one of the last remaining independent reporters still there, battling against logistical and security hazards and the world's fastest shrinking economy. Visit Peta's Blog by clicking here.
HT: Magic Statistics
Posted by tim at September 19, 2006 9:49 AM
