Hugh Bayley MP, Chair of the Africa All Party Parliamentary Group, writes for ePolitix.com ahead of his Westminster Hall debate on land reform in Zimbabwe.
Thirty years after independence both land and land reform continue to be pivotal and emotive subjects in Zimbabwe. From colonisation to independence to the Fast Track Land Reform Programme and the land seizures that followed, land has not been just the basis of Zimbabwe's economy but part of its politics and identity.
Last December, on the 30th anniversary of the historic signing of the Lancaster House Agreement that led to independence, the Africa All Party Parliamentary Group published 'Land in Zimbabwe: Past Mistakes, Future Prospects'. We sought to establish three things: firstly, what exactly what was agreed on land reform at Lancaster House in 1979; secondly what development assistance for land reform has been provided to Zimbabwe since impendence and finally, what future land reform policies - funded by donors and implemented by the government of Zimbabwe - would be most effective at re-establishing a vibrant agricultural sector and ensuring long term political stability.
During the course of our inquiry we found that the narrative that Britain 'betrayed' the promises it made at Lancaster House, though widely held throughout the region, has no foundation because no agreement was reached on land in 1979. The Africa APPG received no evidence from any source – including the Zimbabwean Embassy in London – indicating that a secret deal was made on land. Despite this, the belief that justice on land was denied at Lancaster House is felt strongly today, both in Zimbabwe and throughout southern Africa. It is clear that Britain must do all it can to address this misconception and restore our reputation in the region.
Contrary to popular opinion, land reform in Zimbabwe has not been a total failure. Between 1980-1985 the Land Resettlement Programme was moderately successful and by 1996 71,000 families had been resettled, causing The Economist at the time to label to Land Resettlement Programme 'one of the most successful aid schemes in Africa'. However, after 1985 the programme slowed down considerably and by the 1990s it stopped completely.
The British and Zimbabwean governments grew further apart and in 2000 President Mugabe launched the Fast Track Land Reform Programme encouraging thousands of ZANU PF sponsored settlers to occupy commercial farms. This illegal policy of seizing farms has decimated the once thriving agricultural sector and has forced millions of Zimbabweans to be dependent on food aid.
The Africa All Party Parliamentary Group believes that the unity government represents an important opportunity for Britain and Zimbabwe to rebuild our relationship and re-address the outstanding issue of land reform.
How we go about it is complicated: we cannot support a return to the gross inequality that has characterised Zimbabwe's recent history. We must ensure that any reform we support must by led by Zimbabwean stakeholders and have the needs and the interests of the poor at its centre. We must also recognise that land in Zimbabwe is as much of a political issue as it was in 1979 and proceed cautiously to ensure we do not repeat past mistakes.
But ultimately we must remember that Zimbabwe was once the 'breadbasket of Africa' and, with the right support and a return to good governance, it can and will be again.
For more information or copies of the Africa APPG's report on land in Zimbabwe please email odonoghuea@parliament.uk
