LEWIS MACHIPISA, Harare | Monday 11.00pm.
A CONFERENCE will be held in Zimbabwe this week to raise money from the donor community for its controversial land reform programme.
The conference, to be held from September 9 to 11, was originally planned for July, but was postponed amid speculation that few donors are willing to subsidise the land plan. The government must provide $Z15-billion (R400,4-million) or 35,8% of the the R246-billion required for the land redistribution exercise.
Donors are being asked for $25,5-billion (R157-billion). Whether the government manages to get the money or not, recent events signal that land-hungry villagers are no longer willing to wait. Thousands of villagers from around the country have invaded and forcibly occupied commercial farms mainly owned by white farmers.
So far, it is not clear whether the donors are coming with open cheque books. “There has been inadequate pre-distribution of documents. Some donors are coming with little information,” said Eric Bloch, a local economist. “What will end up happening is that they will come without clear cut instructions from their head offices to release funds, but they may give support in principle.”
The government may also have to explain its decision to send troops to support Democratic Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila. Zimbabwe is reportely spending more than $1-million (R6,16-million) a day on its DRC operations. — IPS
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