Posted on 09/10/2002 1:54:37 AM PDT by Clive
White Zimbabwean farmers suffering from President Mugabe’s policy of land seizure have been offered a lifeline by a fellow African country, the Central African Republic (CAR).
Not only would the farmers be given a safe haven but their presence would help the CAR develop and improve its agriculture, the government says.
Prime Minister Martin Ziguele told Anita McNaught on BBC’s Hardtalk programme: “We will offer them land. My country has no problem with land.
“We are a country with 3,5 million inhabitants on 624,000 square kilometres. It’s a very big country. For each kilometre of land we have less than one inhabitant. So we have land.”
Some of the farmers have translocated to Mozambique and Zambia, where they have been welcomed under certain conditions.
CAR is rich in natural resources, including unspoilt rain forests, and enjoys high levels of rainfall.
“We are ready to host white people from Zimbabwe because we want to improve our agriculture,” said the prime minister.
But the CAR, once ruled as an “empire” by one of the most brutal dictators in Africa, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, remains one of the least developed countries on the continent.
Ziguele said exploiting the rainfall to achieve clean drinking water and good irrigation, along with managing sustainable development of the forests, were the two most important issues to be addressed in the country.
He stressed that he and President Ange-Felix Patasse recognised that agriculture was key to improving the situation.
He said: “My President phoned me here (in London) yesterday and told me to tell everyone I meet that we are ready to host people . . . white people coming from Zimbabwe because we want to improve agriculture.”
White Zimbabwean farmers are gradually being stripped of their homes and livelihoods, and some have been killed, as President Mugabe implements his chaotic land reform programme.
Although Mugabe has been widely condemned by the international community, he has shown no signs of relaxing his campaign.
Few African leaders have been as critical of the land seizures as the West, although President Thabo Mbeki has said the programme should be implemented within the laws of the country.
Prime Minister Ziguele said: “What is happening in Zimbabwe is not a very good example of what can be done in the sense of harmony between communities in a country. “It is important to help Zimbabwean society find a solution around problems of land.”
Ziguele condemned the situation, adding: “I don’t agree with the way the problem is explained or solved.”
He said the dilemma seemed “more emotional than rational”.
“I think what is important is to help all components of Zimbabwean society to find a solution around problems of land.”
Not only is this a matter of lesser evils, the intellectual and spiritual challenge of developing productive land and healing its problems is intoxicating. I have no doubt that some will gladly accept the CAR offer despite the portent you suggest.
Wonder if all the Namibian farmers will go there too?
Regards, Ivan
Zambia and Moz look more like a Zim farmer's kind of farming.
Of course, Moz and Zambia are offering 50 year leases, not freehold.
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