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Zim govt to grab more land
14/04/2006 14:29 - (SA)
Harare - The authorities in Zimbabwe plan to repossess more than 200 plots of land that were allocated to new black farmers in the east of the country under the controversial land reform programme, reports said on Friday.
Up to 221 plots in Manicaland province are to be repossessed because those who had been allocated them have failed to move onto the land, said the Manica Post newspaper.
"All the vacant land will be repossessed by the government and allocated to farmers who are capable of utilising it," National Security Minister Didymus Mutasa said.
"After giving land, we discovered that some people lied about their capabilities to fund their farming activities and they are now failing to fully utilise the land," he added.
President Robert Mugabe launched his land reform programme in 2000, and more than 4 000 farms previously owned by whites are now in the hands of new black farmers.
But the programme has been mired in controversy, with allegations that powerful figures had seized the best farms.
Mutasa said leaders should not be "greedy."
"Many people in this country want land and we cannot afford to be greedy. Corruption is emanating from a culture of greediness," he was quoted as saying.
"Corrupt people are not the old men and women in the rural areas, but the well-positioned leaders," he added.
The authorities are becoming increasingly exasperated with the drop in agricultural production suffered during the last five years. Earlier this month, vice president Joyce Mujuru said farmers had to work harder to produce wheat as there was no more foreign currency to import food.
Sapa-dpa
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Zimbabwe Special Report
