White and Black farmers still bear the scars of Zimbabwe's land grabs

White and Black farmers still bear the scars of Zimbabwe's land grabs(thezimbabwemail.com)

3 points by bmikkelsen 1 year ago | 2 comments

billy99k 1 year ago |

"The invasions were part of the chaotic Fast Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP), launched under President Robert Mugabe in 2000 to reclaim land from about 4,000 white farmers and redistribute it to landless Black Zimbabweans."

Let's be honest here. This was racially motivated. White farmers had their land stolen by government thugs and given to people that didn't have the knowledge, experience, or discipline to run it properly.

The end result was a destroyed economy.

EA-3167 1 year ago | |

Well yes, but that does ignore the story of how white farmers came to own most of the best farmland in Zimbabwe. Obviously the way they went about rectifying that historical iniquity was just about the worst approach possible, but that doesn't change the underlying problem. As we see in South Africa the alternative might be better for the economy, at least for a while, but results in very little change.

Instead of simply scolding people it can help to understand why they did what they did, and what reasonable alternatives exist.