US embassy cable - 04HARARE671

UNCLAS HARARE 000671 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
USDOC FOR AMANDA HILLIGAS 
TREASURY FOR OREN WYCHE-SHAW 
PASS USTR FLORIZELLE LISER 
STATE PASS USAID FOR MARJORIE COPSON 
 
E. O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, SENV, ECON, PGOV, ZI, Land Reform 
SUBJECT: Land Reform Picks Up Steam Again 
 
Ref: a) Harare 579  b) Harare 634  c) Harare 655 
 
1. Summary:  After several month lull, the GOZ has 
reintensified its redistribution of white-owned farms. 
Using an expedited process, it has issued notices to 
about 200 farms this month.  End summary. 
 
2. The GOZ has recently made two significant changes in 
the manner it expropriates farms.  First, under the most 
recent amendments to the Land Acquisition Act, it is no 
longer required to deliver the various eviction notices 
(there were usually a series of three) to farmers and may 
simply publicize them.  Second, a new Ministry of Lands, 
Land Reform and Rural Resettlement headed by John Nkomo 
now issues the notices.  The Ministry of Agriculture 
headed by Joseph Made no longer performs this function. 
 
Speedier Evictions 
------------------ 
3. The result is a more rapid, less bureaucratic eviction 
process with fewer legal obstacles.  While GOZ handed out 
only several dozen eviction notices January-March, it has 
already issued about 200 through the new Ministry in 
April.  According to the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), 
the GOZ is also eliminating one step (so-called section 
5's) in the process.  The CFU also reports that the GOZ 
is displacing an increasing number of A2s (resettled 
commercial farmers) with other A2s.  This may indicate 
Nkomo's Ministry is trying to remove A2s for not farming 
or in favor of competing ZANU-PF interests, or - although 
unsubstantiated - to reduce multiple farm beneficiaries. 
 
4. The media have reported several high-profile farm 
takeovers this month, including MP Roy Bennet's 
Charleswood Farm (ref b) and Kondozi Farm.  We will 
report septel on Charleswood's seizure.  Kondozi became a 
personal battle between Agriculture Minister Made and 
several courts, which had sided with the present owners. 
Absentee white owners had brought in a black partner to 
preempt eviction.  The GOZ has also served notice to 
several sugar agro-businesses (mostly belonging to Anglo- 
American and other South African firms). 
 
Comment 
------- 
5. The recent flurry of farm takeovers directed by 
"moderate" John Nkomo's Ministry suggests the GOZ is 
still committed to gain control of most or all land, 
notwithstanding its effect on the economy or 
contradictions with earlier GOZ statements that land 
redistribution has been completed.  We are not sure how 
many whites will remain farmers when the land reform dust 
finally settles.  At last count, the CFU calculated that 
600 of 4,500 were still farming, but the organization is 
trying to update those totals.  Many remaining white 
farmers have either struck deals with the GOZ at some 
level or aligned with black partners.  In his 
Independence Day speech, President Mugabe indicated the 
GOZ would now turn to agro-businesses and conservancies, 
but he did not offer specifics.  Beyond the abstract goal 
of indigenizing these sectors, certain GOZ officials seem 
to want to advance their own commercial interests in 
these sectors while diminishing those of political 
rivals.  As noted in recent reports (refs a & c), we fear 
the GOZ may turn back environmental gains by applying a 
statist or unsustainable model to conservancies. 
 
Sullivan