By Olusola O. Muhammad
(The following article appeared in ‘The Final Call to POWER’ May/June 2000)

According to news reports, President Robert Mugabe is behind a policy to redress the unequal distribution of land ownership in Zimbabwe by allowing so-called "War Veterans” to occupy "white-owned" farm land.

However, “Michael Makuchete, the president of ZANU-PF Students League said, we are prepared to die for our land just as our forefathers were prepared to die for our independence.” www.telegraph.co.uk.

Zimbabwe's white farmers occupy 75% of the country's most productive farmland yet they represent 0.6 percent (70,000) of the 12 million population.

At independence in April 1980, the unequal Land issue was not resolved, as measures to protect white farms and farmers were agreed and incorporated into the "Lancaster House Constitution.” www.gta.gov.zw

Last year Robert Mugabe lost a Referendum Vote to change the Constitution to allow the government to reclaim "white-owned" farmland for equal re-distribution.

The Referendum was lost due to the overwhelming “urban” support for the "Movement for Democratic Change" (MDC), a white-owned and backed opposition party supported by Zimbabweans' opposed to disenfranchising white farmers.

Recently tensions increased between the two countries when Zimbabwe Custom Officials opened Britain’s "Diplomatic Cargo and “black squatters” increasingly threatened and invaded farms owned by white farmers.

In January however, the Queen received a letter from the so-called war veterans warning of the escalation against “commercial farmers,” (See Sunday Times newspaper 23/4/00) unless the land issue is resolved.

As the momentum for equal land rights increases, violence leading to anarchy, death and civil war loom on the horizon, for Zimbabwe and the UK especially, as angry disenfranchised land-less white farmers return home.