THERE is very little activity on most farms seized from former white farmers. The government is planning to hand over the farms to the Chinese in a bid to revive the agriculture sector.
Posted on 05/19/2005 4:24:48 AM PDT by Clive
HARARE - The Zimbabwe government is planning to offer former white farms for free to Chinese state-owned firms in a desperate bid to revive the key agricultural sector, ZimOnline has learnt.
Details of the planned land-for-investment scheme are still sketchy. But sources said Harare, vigorously pursuing a new "look-East" policy after falling out with the West because of its poor human rights record, was looking for a government to government deal.
Officials of state-owned agro-firm, China State Farms Agribusiness Corporation (CSFAC), were expected in Harare "soon" for talks with government officials on the modalities of the proposed farming partnership, according to the sources.
"Details of the deal are not yet clear as the actual talks are yet to be done. But both Zimbabwe and China seem keen to embark on the deal. The government is desperate to have agriculture back on the tracks," said the source, who spoke on condition he was not named.
Intelligence Minister Dydmus Mutasa, ordered by President Robert Mugabe last week to also oversee land reform, has been tasked to repossess all underutilised land and hand it over to the Chinese once the deal is in place.
The government is targeting unproductive land owned by blacks apparently because there was no longer enough land in white hands, after close to 90 percent of the former white commercial farmers were stripped off land under the government's chaotic and often violent land reforms.
"There is no longer enough land to grab from white farmers. So what will happen is that Mutasa will have to find land from blacks who are seen to have failed to productively farm. This is the land that will be given to the Chinese," the source said.
Mutasa refused to take questions on the matter accusing ZimOnline of seeking to upset relations the government was trying to build with the Chinese.
"You seem bent on destroying whatever good the government is doing. You don't want us to build any relations," Mutasa fumed.
It was also not possible to get comment from the Chinese embassy in Harare.
This is not the first time that the government has attempted to give land taken from white Zimbabwean farmers to foreigners.
At the height of fuel shortages three years ago, the government signed a similar deal with Libya under which Tripoli was to take large swathes of land in exchange for fuel. The deal collapsed as the Libyans preferred cash at that time.
Apart from seeking help from the Chinese, the government is also secretly approaching some of the expelled white farmers enticing them to return to the land with promises of compensation for equipment lost during the farm seizures and security from evictions in future.
Zimbabwe has since 2002 virtually survived on food handouts from international donors because of severe food shortages after a 60 percent drop in food production because black families resettled by the government on former white-owned farms lack skills and resources. - ZimOnline
THERE is very little activity on most farms seized from former white farmers. The government is planning to hand over the farms to the Chinese in a bid to revive the agriculture sector.
This is madness...
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Sounds like they're looking for free socialism lessons.
How could any party, government or private, risk capital or staff in Zimbabwe? No matter what a contract says, Mugabe can simply take whatever he wants whenever he wants.
I guess they cant give this land back to the farmers they stole it from because white farmers are too smart to believe anything this double dealing pack of killers has to say.
A foot in the door. China needs land, farms and a very stupid and mentally disabled dictator. A situation made for
China.
A foot in the door indeed and a rather strategic move as well. "Clowns to the left of us jokers to the right" so to speak.
They're never free. In fact, they are always quite expensive.
This is just as silly as the "four legs good, two legs bad" claim that morphed around to suit the pigs in Animal Farm. Orwell truly had the Communists pegged. It seems so obviously corrupt to me I can't understand why the rest of the world consistently falls for it.
Is there just a tendency to believe that the corruption will someday turn out in their benefit?
Food as a weapon?
Perhaps the chinese are moving in to be the ones to control africa through food production.
"They're never free. In fact, they are always quite expensive."
But the dictator doesn't care. Just wait 'till he is overthrown by some 'Asian coup'. But THAT would never happen.
Given the many U.S. cities run into the ground by the radical leftist politics of big city democrats... could this be in the card for those cities? Red flags flying over Detroit, Newark etc.
"a new "look-East" policy after falling out with the West because of its poor human rights record, "
Good to know that champion of "human rights", China, is willing to assist for "the people".
More evidence the COMMIE Chinese are planning to imprint themselves into as many western countries and companies as they can. They're buying up oil and enticing US companies to 'come on in, the water's fine' and set up partnerships with the Commie Chinese government.
Later, in a galaxy far, far away...the Commie Chinese decide they like these US companies verrry much thankyou and simply 'annex' them as their own. Say good bye and thank you. How long will the West survive with no cheap foreign Chinese goods ? How long will the US survive with no textile and raw material processing capabilities, enough to support US and our foreign dependents?
The WalMarts, KMarts, Targets and pharmacos et al are selling their US interests OUT to the Commie Chinese.
You can never have too much ammunition.
G
This is what America would be like if the black congressional caucus was in the majority. They are the collectivization caucus.
The Chinese do well where ever they go
though when they set up their corperate farms
will they hire native labor?....
And once the farms are back up and running how long
before the dictator takes them back..?
I'd guess that the dictator has already been well paid for these farms. And the Chinese would not roll over if Mugabe tried to get them back.
I don't disagree, however, if a company wanted to they could make a HUGE stink in the marketplace by drawing attention to the "Made in USA" label of their goods.
Yes, the cost might be higher overall, but the cost to the security of the USA would be priceless.
Look at the bump that Anheiser-Busch has gotten by coming right out and saying they are the ONLY USA owned brewery...
IF I were the CEO of say...Target, I would put together a plan to enlist ONLY US suppliers in this strategy. I would meet with them and lay it out..."We're bringing ALL our suppliers back into the USA. We will contract with you to provide YOUR goods to us at a fair price. YOU will enjoy a guaranteed customer base and, together, we will make "MADE IN USA" a watch word for Patriotism and American Pride.
WE can make it better and cheaper IF we work together...US Cotton in US Textile mills, US Toasters made with US Steel, ON and ON and ON...IT's a WINNING strategy and a strong CEO could make it happen.
G
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