Zimbabwe is Not Reversing Land Reform Despite US Demands

The most bitter part about the liberation war in Zimbabwe was the issue of land. The battle was with white people who were entitled to land they had acquired through violence, murder, and rape of the black people who were (and are) the rightful owners of the land. During the negotiations for independence, the issue of land was dealt with in a circumventing manner because the white people were not willing to give up their land - the economic base to their wealth. 

The situation continued up to 2000 when Robert Mugabe took the audacious step to take land by force, and without compensation. It was a fast-track land reform program that was noble, but had disastrous consequences for it was conducted in a haphazard and unplanned manner, characterized by violence. But Robert Mugabe had won. The black people had won. Immediately, Zimbabwe was slapped with illegal economic sanctions by the United States and the European Union. As with sanctions, they do not harm the leaders but induce untold suffering for the masses. The whole land reform exercises and the subsequent repercussions brought Zimbabwe's economy down to its knees, and the suffering still continues, being brutally protracted. 

The United States takes glee and delight in imposing sanctions on countries that go contrary to its foreign policy whims. Sanctions are a weapon used by the West to punish countries that are not subservient to their dictates. It is clear for everyone to see - Venezuela, Iran, etc. 

And now, as the US propagates its narrative of "democracy" it is obvious that they want specific governments to be removed, according to their wishes. The Zimbabwean government has stuck to its word - land reform is not going to be reversed. No matter how the US demands to grow louder, Zimbabwe has reiterated that it is not going to reverse the gains of redressing colonial imbalances. 

Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa David Hamadziripi that the United States imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe because of land reform and as such its demands to return the seized property in the land reform program will not be honored. Speaking at a symposium held at the University of South Africa (Unisa) to pave a way for South Africa's intervention in the lifting of sanctions he said that the EU sanctions had been lifted but the US continued making demands and had imposed the sanctions because of land reform.

"It is only when Zimbabwe decided in 2000 to embark on the fast track land reform program that the sanctions were imposed. So, it’s not a coincidence that the EU sanctions came in 2002."

"They want us to return the land to those who used to own it but as the President [Emmerson] Mnangagwa has said, there is no reversal of the land reform." 

When Emmerson Mnangagwa got into power he made it clear that the land reform process was not going to be reversed. But the government seems to be warming up to the idea of compensating the white farmers. These are now contradictory positions and it may reflect the ineptitude of Mnangagwa's government as regards communication around the policy. The government is not willing to return the actual property but is seemingly amenable to compensating the farmers. 

Land reform is a victory for black people and it should not be reversed. Even compensation is wrong because, how can you be compensating someone for something that they stole from you? The United States will never relent in its quest to dominate global politics and small countries are always at the mercy of the US and this is something that the global community must vehemently be against. 

Header image credit - Report Focus News