| Press Statement Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC August 9, 2002 Zimbabwe: Farm EvictionsAt midnight Zimbabwe time on August 8, a deadline passed for some 1,800 of Zimbabwe’s remaining commercial farmers to vacate their farms and homesteads. The Government of Zimbabwe’s latest assault on its commercial farms and food production only worsens an already bleak situation that is a national tragedy for Zimbabwe. These actions by the Government of Zimbabwe, in combination with its assault on political opponents, have destroyed Zimbabwe’s economy, undermined the nation’s democratic institutions, and accelerated the onset of severe food shortages facing Zimbabwe and the region. At a time when six million Zimbabweans are without adequate food supplies, the Government of Zimbabwe’s eviction of commercial farmers and thousands of farm workers is a reckless and reprehensible act. The United States recognizes the need for genuine land reform in Zimbabwe, and would support a rational and equitable program to this end. Regrettably, the current campaign of forced expulsions and violent property seizures takes Zimbabwe in the opposite direction. Credible reports of senior political and security figures assuming ownership of expropriated commercial farms further reveals the cynicism of Mugabe’s so-called land reform program. The United States again calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to reverse course. Zimbabwe’s recovery can only come through genuine democratic reform, renewed respect for the rule of law, and vigorous protection of human rights. The Mugabe regime is failing on all three counts. |
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