Source: Evicted white Zim farmer ‘was victim of racial discrimination, greed and abuse of power’ | News24
Harare – Zimbabwe’s new government ordered Thursday that land confiscated from a white farmer to give to an ally of former president Robert Mugabe must be returned.
Robert Smart, who grew tobacco and corn on his farm in Makoni in eastern Zimbabwe, was evicted in June after a former minister ordered that the plot be turned over to pro-Mugabe cleric Trevor Manhanga.
“(He) surrendered part of his farm during the land reforms and the G40 started racially profiling him to justify eviction,” said Chris Mutsvangwa, a special adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The G40, or Generation 40, was a faction of the Zanu-PF party, mainly younger members, once loyal to Mugabe’s wife Grace.
“Smart and others were victims of racial discrimination, greed and abuse of power. Their farms were acquired outside the parameters of the law.”
Brutal and arbitrary
He added that the government was investigating other illegal farm takeovers.
Smart and his son Darryn were reportedly evicted by heavily armed men who beat farm workers and stole property.
In 2000 Mugabe launched the disastrous land seizure programme in which farms were forcibly taken from white farmers, officially justified as an effort to stimulate economic growth for black Zimbabweans.
The evictions, often brutal and arbitrary, were blamed for a collapse in agricultural production and chronic food shortages that forced the one-time breadbasket of Africa to become dependent on imports of staples.
Economic output fell by half following the start of the land seizures, as more than 4 000 of the country’s 4 500 white farmers were stripped of their land.
Mnangagwa, who replaced Mugabe last month following a military takeover, has vowed to revive the country’s economy by lifting agricultural production and attracting foreign investment.
In his inauguration address, he also pledged that his government would compensate white farmers whose land was seized by Mugabe
COMMENTS
No news of any prosecutions then? As usual ZANU PF members get away with anything. Manhanga a cleric, more like a thief, he should be jailed.
The only hope is that the elections next year are monitored by the UN. It could be a condition for any big foreign aid and they might have to accept it as by then the entire economy will be even more close to total collapse
I suppose that this is just an isolated incident? I mean there were not 4000 farmers on 6000 farms that employed 300 000 staff and housed 1 800 000 people that Zanu and Scoones have celebrated as the FTLRP?
The brilliant part was unsettling 300 000 farm workers to resettle 300 000 Zanu mujibas?