DEAR EDITOR — PLEASE do us a favour and publish the letter below by Claire Short, then a member of British PM Tony Blair’s government, responsible for foreign affairs wrote to Zimbabwe’s Secretary of State and Minister of Agriculture and Land, Kumbirai Kangai MP, on November 5 1997. I believe this letter started ‘the fire’ that we see today.
The British are trying to portray the Zanu PF government in bad light yet started this whole ‘game’ out of their selfish means. Why did Zimbabwe not suffer as much in the period prior to 1997?
Many people in the UK House of Lords were absentee landlords and they pushed the EU to boycott business with Zimbabwe until white farmers were guaranteed land in Zimbabwe.
I feel really angry when they try to suggest that Zimbabwe lost it breadbasket status because of Mugabe's policies. What did Mugabe do? He only responded to Short and Blair's reneging on their Lancaster House obligations.
People talk about equitable distribution; that land redistribution had to be done rationally. How rational could Mugabe have done it when the white farmers were adamant that they were not going to sell; 'the willing buyer-willing seller' idea never meant anything for the white commercial farmers who amassed a lot of wealth.
CLAIRE SHORT’S LETTER
5 November 1997
From the Secretary of State
Hon Kumbirai Kangai MP
Minister of Agriculture and Land
Dear Minister
George Foulkes has reported to me on the meeting which you and Hon John Nkomo had with Tony Lloyd and him during your recent visit. I know that President Mugabe also discussed the land issue with the Prime Minister briefly during their meeting. It may be helpful if I record where matters now rest on the issue.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Tony Blair said that he looked forward to developing a new basis for relations with Commonwealth countries founded upon our government's policies, not on the past.
We will set out our agenda for international development in a White Paper to be published this week. The central thrust of this will be the development of partnerships with developing countries which are committed to eradicate poverty, and have their own proposals for achieving that which we and other donors can support.
I very much hope that we will be able to develop such a relationship with Zimbabwe. I understand that you aim shortly to publish your own policies on economic management and poverty reduction. I hope that we can discuss them with you and identify areas where we are best able to help. I mentioned this in my letter on 31 August to Hon Herbert Murarwa.
I should make it clear that we do not accept that Britain has a special responsibility to meet the costs of land purchase in Zimbabwe. We are a new Government from diverse backgrounds without links to former colonial interests. My own origins are Irish and as you know we were colonised not colonisers.
We do, however, recognise the very real issues you face over land reform. We believe that land reform could be an important component of a Zimbabwean programme designed to eliminate poverty. We would be prepared to support a programme of land reform that was part of a poverty eradication strategy but not on any other basis.
I am told Britain provided a package of assistance for resettlement in the period immediately following independence. This was, I gather, carefully planned and implemented, and met most of its targets.
Again, I am told there were discussions in 1989 and 1996 to explore the possibility of further assistance. However that is all in the past.
If we look to the present, a number of specific issues are unresolved, including the way in which land would be acquired and compensation paid - clearly it would not help the poor of Zimbabwe if it was done in a way which undermined investor confidence.
Other questions that would need to be settled would be to ensure that the process was completely open and transparent, including the establishment of a proper land register.
Individual schemes would have to be economically justified to ensure that the process helped the poor, and for me the most important issue is that any programme must be planned as part of a programme to contribute to the goal of eliminating poverty. I would need to consider detailed proposals on these issues before confirming further British support for resettlement.
I am sure that a carefully worked out programme of land reform that was part of a programme of poverty eradication which we could support would also bring in other donors, whose support would help ensure that a substantial land resettlement programme such as you clearly desire could be undertaken successfully. If is [sic] to do so, they too will need to be involved from the start.
It follows from this that a programme of rapid land acquisition as you now seem to envisage would be impossible for us to support. I know that many of Zimbabwe's friends share our concern about the damage which this might do to Zimbabwe's agricultural output and its prospects of attracting investment.
I thought it best to be frank about where we are. If you think it would be helpful, my officials are ready to meet yours to discuss these issues.
Yours sincerely
Claire Short
Peter Chimutsa peterchimutsa@yahoo.com
USEFUL ATTACHMENTS
READER OPINIONS
Thato • thatomantai@gmail.om Subject: n/a Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:22:38 • Regardless of what you say the image of Zanu-PF has been greatly tainted. I'm a young South African and over the years I familiarized myself with the Lancaster House agreement, and to an extent I understood why Mr. Mugabe why acting the way he did. Believe I had a difficult time convincing others that he is not the devil that the Eurocentric media portrays him to be. But today, I'm greatly disappointed in Mr. Mugabe and a majority of all his policies. Remember Mr. Mbeki did not want to step down as well. What is it with African leaders and clinging to power? Clearly if your approach is not working and we've been thru it so many times, you might wanna consider giving other people a chance. Personally, I don't think that Mr. Mugabe and his followers are very patriotic about Zimbabwe.
N/A • n/a Subject: SINS OF THE FATHERS Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:47:25 • Dear Sir
Now why is it that we do not have thinkers like yourselves in Zimbabwe's ZANU PF - We could all live in harmony in the two parties if the way forward as you have demonstratively written, is anything to go by. This to me is definitely the way forward and whew, very thankful there are some who think positive. Learn to live in harmony and learn to exploit as we once were ourselves. What do we do instead - destroy today what should rightfully be ours tomorrow - VIVA ZIMBABWE
Nova, Edinburgh • na.na Subject: THE SINS OF THE FATHER... Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:15:07 • Dear Cde Gaba Rinocheka,
First of all I belong to ZanuPF and do not want Morgan for President. Simba I could live with - because he used to be one of us, but not Morgan. Our country is bleeding, nay haemorraging heavily, and you are cutting even deeper into the wounds so that it has no chance of healing? Whose side are you on? Certainly not Zimbabwe's.
Are you another one squatting out there in the diaspora and stirring it up between us? Are you actually MDC? If not, why are you putting out such inflammatory remarks? I think you are MDC.
I agree with you that the land was taken forcibly under the barrel of a gun, (which was in 1894) but that was 100 years ago and since Clare Short's letter in 1997, most of it has been taken back in the same way. Those whites with us now are inbred and part of our extended family.
That land which has been taken back is not even productive otherwise why are we having to import grain instead of exporting it. Can you explain that?
My brother, the world is now a global village and we must learn to exploit our white benefactors in the same way as they have exploited us for the last 100 years. Do not write them off - it is cutting off your nose to spite your face. The goal posts have all changed since 1894. Its a new set of rules now.
Instead quietly use them and abuse them so that we can grow (just like the miseltoe parasite on the branches of the host tree), and one day we will overcome and have it all.
We have the raw materials, but the technology we need is in their hands, and our brothers and sisters who have the expertise are in their deep pockets and unlikely to come home because it is a mess right now - and your negative comments are not helping - you are just stirring it up between us.
Your comments are not constructive or positive. This is not the way to attract would be new ZanuPF voters. We have learned that in the west we kiss one another under the mistletoe - not p.ss one one another like this. Dont be a sinner - be a winna for ZanuPF by being positive!
Cde Gaba Rinocheka • gabarinocheka@nyadzonya.com Subject: we kno that Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:00:44 • we all kno kuti they started the whole thing, its just they are experienced liars and schemers, which is why some of our brothers and sisters fall into their tricks.
Kana isu zvedu ma war vets toti regai titore minda yedu, imi moti he -e mawar vet havazive chinonzi rule of law. He-e they are illiterate. What law? That land was taken forcibly under the barrel of a gun, which is why it must be taken in the same way. Draw, draw 6 and 9. Chekunyengerera hapana.
What else can be done when their kith and kin prove such dishonesty? The reason why the Lancaster house included the cooling period of ten yrs pasina anobata mapurazi evarungu was a ploy by the bhiritishi to save white supremacy in Zim.
Patakazoti tave kuda minda yedu, wanike mabhiritishi achinja - semachinjiro anongoita weather yavo. They are so unpredictable.
Tsvangison must be very careful if at all he manages to occupy that coveted residence in zim with them people. Their weather can have 4 seasons in one day - thats exactly how the people behave.
Avo vatinohwa kuhi vanaMr Robertson et al, voda kudzoka kuzotora yavanofunga kuti minda yavo nokuti mdc yoda kutonga - vayambirei kuti ngavakwane. ngavanopihwa minda kubhakinìhamu palasi na kwini wavo.
Ngavatibvire kumhepo! Land to the people!
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