Zimbabwe Land Grab Continues

However, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, who has already said that his government would continue to ignore these rulings, has issued the following warning: "I urge farmers to drop the nonsense of fighting the land issue in the courts, as that will make us even more angry."

"We cannot ignore the imperative of land reform," said the 30-page ruling by the five Supreme Court judges last week, but "we cannot punish what is wrong by stopping what is right."

This is not the first time that the highest court in Zimbabwe has ruled against the government's controversial land grab, which resulted in the illegal occupation of about 1,700 white-owned farms by landless blacks, a campaign spearheaded by war veterans loyal to Mugabe.

"We should not be defending ourselves in the courts. ... They have no role in this case," said Mugabe, addressing the ruling party ZANU (PF) special congress held this month.

"This country is our country, and this land is our land," he told the delegates, who cheered loudly when Mugabe said, "The white man is not indigenous to Africa. ... Africa is for Africans ... Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans."

Mugabe emerged as the clear victor at the congress, where he was asked to remain party and state leader "until the land issue has been resolved."

This decision ended any earlier speculation that certain party delegates would raise the issue of Mugabe's successor for the presidential elections due in 2002.

Most analysts believe that Mugabe's cronies have done their homework ahead of the congress by purging the regional party leadership of critics and "doubtfuls."

Their next step, too, was predictable – some loyalists were included in the new Politburo (Minister of Finance Simba Makoni and Minister of Information Jonathan Moyo), while several "doubtfuls," such as former Cabinet ministers Edison Zvogbo and Chen Chimutengvende, were ruled out.

Mugabe strongly believes that land redistribution, officially explained as an attempt to rectify colonial injustices, will improve his popularity and the ruling party's shattered image among the landless rural people.

The ruling party won the parliamentary elections in June this year with a narrow majority – 62 to 57. Opposition members previously were able to secure only three seats out of 150 in Parliament; 30 members are, in effect, at the discretion of Mugabe.

ZANU (PF) fared particularly badly in the main urban centers, such as Harare, the capital, and Bulawayo, the second-largest city, where the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which was formed only a year ago, secured a landslide victory.

Most observers had expected that the urban poor, most affected by the social and economic hardships (spiraling inflation, ever-increasing prices of essential goods, high unemployment, etc.), would vote for the opposition.

ZANU (PF) scored its victories mainly in the countryside, where Mugabe's popularity has not faded so fast and where the promise of land proved to be an attractive carrot.

International organizations and Western donors are not questioning the need for land redistribution in this African country where about 4,000 white farmers own more than one third of the best arable land. However, they were and remain to be very critical of the land grab, particularly the illegal occupation of about 1,700 white-owned farms since February.

The United Kingdom, a former colonial power, the U.S. and most other Western countries have pointed out that some government, party and military officials were the ones who profited most during the previous land redistribution.

However, Vice President Joseph Msika told the party congress that since the inception of the fast-track resettlement program (last spring), about 46,000 landless black families have been given 2.5 million hectares of land.

Mugabe's local and international critics maintain that he was using - and, in fact, is still using - the race card to stay in power.

Addressing party faithfuls, Mugabe once again sharply attacked the remaining 70,000 or so whites in Zimbabwe (with a total population of 12 million people).

He described the farmers as "the white, racist enemy" and called on party delegates "to strike fear in the heart of the white man, our real enemy."

At least six white farmers have been killed during the illegal occupation of white-owned farms. The last victim was peppered with bullets less than 24 hours before the congress.

Mugabe has repeatedly attacked the West, particularly London and Washington, claiming that they not only support the local opposition, but were also instrumental in cutting IMF and the World Bank financial aid for Zimbabwe.

On the other hand, most political analysts believe that poor governance, mismanagement and corruption, as well as the military involvement of around 11,000 Zimbabwean soldiers in DR Congo, are to be blamed for the present dismal state of the national economy.

In a recent address to the nation, Mugabe admitted that the national economy had "performed below expectations" this year, but insisted that the new budget "steers the nation in the direction we want to go - that of economic recovery and stabilization."

Meanwhile, his critics are already predicting a worsening of the social, economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe.

There is a glimmer of hope though. It is believed that, despite the harsh rhetoric, the government in Harare is beginning to show some signs of accepting the reality of the situation.

Four government ministers met before Christmas with ambassadors from donor countries (including the United Kingdom and U.S.) and from southern Africa. Mugabe's ministers are also reportedly scheduled to meet with representatives of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), which represents mainly white farmers.

It is expected that the international organizations and Western donors are now willing to finance land reform in Zimbabwe provided the government gives up its land grab.

Still, it should be noted that earlier foreign mediation attempts, including the recent joint mission by the South African and Nigerian presidents in Harare, have failed to secure Mugabe's consent to similar proposals.