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Zim: 'No aid for black farmers'
05/03/2007 17:39 - (SA)
Harare - President Robert Mugabe's
government will soon withdraw financial support for black-owned
commercial farms resettled under Zimbabwe's controversial land
reform policy, state media reported on Monday.
The move follows charges by central bank governor Gideon
Gono during a parliamentary meeting last week that the reforms
had caused chronic food shortages in the one-time food exporter.
Under the land programme begun in 2000, farmland was seized
from whites and redistributed to landless blacks. Critics say
some of the black farmers lacked the equipment and expertise to
run the large farms.
The state-run Herald reported that Gono, whose central bank
has funded most of the farms, told farmers over the weekend the
government would be "weaning off" those who were given
large-scale commercial farmland.
'They are now grown-ups'
"It is now seven years since we reclaimed our land but we
continue looking at government for support," Gono said. "Next
season we will wean off all A2 (black) farmers as they are now
grown-ups."
Gono accused large-scale farmers of selling subsidies
received from the government and failing to repay loans.
He, however, said the government would continue supporting
small-scale, subsistence farmers.
During his testimony before a parliamentary committee last
week, Gono said it was "a shame" Zimbabwe continued to import
food despite carrying out land reforms.
Minister of state for national security Didymus Mutasa, who
is in charge of land reform, reiterated a government warning
that resettled farmers risked losing land if they did not
utilise it properly.
Food shortages continue to drive the country's inflation -
at almost 1 600% the highest in the world - while grain
imports have stretched thin foreign currency reserves.
- Reuters
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