Land reform was chaotic - Zim VP
19/07/2007 14:57  - (SA)  

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Harare - Zimbabwe's controversial land reform programme was chaotic, vice-president Joseph Msika has admitted in a rare criticism of the campaign by a government official.

"The implementation was chaotic," Msika said in comments carried by the state-controlled Herald daily on Thursday.

In 2000, President Robert Mugabe's government launched a programme under which land owned by whites was seized, to loud Western condemnation.

Many Western countries, including former colonial power Britain, said they did not disagree with the principle of redistributing Zimbabwe's farmland to the landless.

But they disagreed with the manner in which it was done. In many cases, bands of veterans of Zimbabwe's struggle for independence invaded farms, terrorized farmers and their families, looted property and forced them to flee.

Around 13 white farmers were killed at the height of the takeovers.

Seven years later, less than 300 of more than 4 000 white farmers on land in Zimbabwe still remain.

Mugabe and his ministers usually fiercely defend the controversial farm takeovers.

But in an unusual departure from the official line, Msika on Thursday criticised some of those involved in the programme.

"We did not say chase them (the farmers)," he said, speaking in the eastern district of Nyanga.

"I am not saying whites are mad (sic) but there are also blacks that are mad," he was quoted as saying.

The vice-president was comparing the manner in which land reform was implemented to the behaviour of some of those appointed to monitor adherence to price controls in an ongoing government blitz against high prices in Zimbabwe.

"These youngsters, we give them terms of reference but they do things their own ways," Msika said.

There have been reports some that some monitors and police have connived with relatives and friends to force shopowners to sell goods, especially valuable electrical wares, at prices way below the reduced prices stipulated by authorities.

Mugabe's government recently ordered businesses to reduce their prices by 50% in the ailing southern African country where inflation is at more than 4 500%.

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