(NEWZIMBABWE) Black farmers prove critics wrong: Mugabe
Black farmers prove critics wrong: Mugabeby Gilbert Nyambabvu
18/06/2011 00:00:00
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe says the country’s economic recovery – driven largely by agriculture and mining -- has helped prove wrong the perception that black farmers are not as productive as white counterparts.
Zimbabwe’s agriculture-based economy hit the skids over the last decade with critics blaming Mugabe’s seizure of white-owned farms which they say resulted in a catastrophic collapse in agricultural productivity.
The government counters that sanctions imposed by the West as punishment for the land seizures caused the economic hardships.
The economic decline was reversed in 2009 however, with the country recording positive growth since, largely driven by the recovery in agriculture.
"They (blacks) are the main players in agriculture. That means, we are as productive as them (white commercial farmers), whether big or small farmers," Mugabe said on arrival at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Saturday.
The Zimbabwean leader is in Malaysia to attend the three-day Lankawi International Dialogue series which seeks to enhance “smart partnerships” between governments and the private sector in promoting development.
Mugabe said the government has focused on increasing production of food crops as well as tobacco, once a major export for the country.
In 2010 tobacco deliveries to the auction floors topped 122 million kgs after collapsing to less than 50 million kgs in the last decade.
Officials say the country is now on course to hit the 200 million kgs achieved during peak production periods before implementation of the land reforms.
Meanwhile, Mugabe also dismissed claims that key regime figures had largely benefitted from the land reforms instead of the country’s previously landless majority.
"How can land just go to Mugabe's friends and relatives? My friends are my people and those are the people who fought with us to drive out the British... therefore, the beneficiaries,” he said.
"Anyway, the land belonged to the people...we have a customary system of chiefs in various areas, and chiefs being custodians of lands in various areas on behalf of the people. We have maintained that all land is state land.”
He also said the mining sector had helped reboot the economy but emphasised the need to invest in value edition.
"Thank, God... this shows the British that we have other minerals like diamonds, platinum and uranium...perhaps, we continue to discover more and these had helped (the economic growth)," he added.
Labels: LAND REFORM, NEW FARMERS
posted by MrK @ 6:53 PM
2 Comments:
Great news, in the West you hardly heard about such progress.
" Great news, in the West you hardly heard about such progress. "
And, who was telling the truth? President Mugabe. Who has been lying? Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera.
There are now several books out on the effect of land reform in Zimbabwe, that are based on surveys, instead of white farmers opinion, which is what has been passing for 'news' for the last decade.
Zimbabwe Takes It's Land Back, by Joseph Hanlon, Jeanette Manjengwa and Teresa Smart
Zimbabwe's Land Reform - Myths and Realities, by prof. Ian Scoones of Sussex University and IDS.
Articles:
A New Start For Zimbabwe? by prof. Ian Scoones
Zimbabwe land reforms: myths and surprises, by Giles Emerson
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home