Mugabe invites whites to lease back farmland in Zimbabwe

Andrew Meldrum:

Zimbabwe's dispossessed white farmers have been invited to lease farms back from the government, a tacit admission of the failure of Robert Mugabe's land seizures.

The Commercial Farmer's Union (CFU) said the government had called for applications to run farms under a new policy of granting 99-year leases. Farmers have sent in more than 200 applications.

If the applications are granted, it would be a reversal of Mr Mugabe's vows not to return land to white farmers. Didymus Mutasa, the security minister, who also holds the land reform portfolio, said this week that the country's land belonged to black people and "there is definitely no going back on our policy on land".

Since 2000 the Mugabe government has taken over more than 4,000 white-owned commercial farms in often violent seizures. Some of the land was redistributed to poor black supporters of the government, but many farms went to cabinet ministers, army officers, judges and others with ties to the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Few of the new farmers have produced good harvests, because of shortages of seeds and fertiliser and lack of expertise. Mr Mugabe admitted last year that only 40% of the seized land was under cultivation. As a result, Zimbabwe has suffered widespread food shortages and has been dependent upon international food aid for four consecutive years. The economy has contracted by 40% and inflation has soared to 913%.

Reality Check for Redistributionists

Behind a facade of normality, Zimbabwe is visibly falling apart

Zimbabwe confirms white farm move

Zimbabwe legalises witchcraft