From an article in the Associated Press today:
"Land distribution will continue. It will not stop," Mugabe said. "The few remaining white farmers should quickly vacate their farms as they have no place there."
"Mugabe was capitalizing on what has long been a sensitive issue in Zimbabwe and other nations in the region: the unjust division of land between whites and blacks that is a legacy of colonialism and white minority rule."
Arguably, this policy has been a significant contributor to Zimbabwe's collapsing economy and growing food shortages. It's interesting how the fates of the oppressor and the oppressed are so intertwined in a society.
Do you think Mugabe's motivation for this policy, with all its detrimental effects on Zimbabwe's masses, is purely that of retaliation against years of racial/colonial oppression?
Well, obviously, racial oppression is the primary motivation for the policy since that is the stated qualifier for action. But I could also see that Mugabe may also be seizing power for himself through this Robin Hood fascade. Particularly since the raiding is causing famine to all of the people. If he was purely trying to uplift the oppressed black population, he would probably not do so at their harm. His current tactics have a sort of selfish disregard for the welfare of the people.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to agree with Ian on this one. Of course, there is always the possibility that Mugabe is just an idiot that doesn't realize the effect of his retaliatory efforts. I sincerely doubt that, but it has happened before.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't really support his actions, I can understand them. Redistribution of land from the aristocracy (in this case, white people) to the lower classes is something that has held true to every revolutionary leader's policies in my country. I find it quite humorous that this time it is probably based more on race than on social standing.
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ReplyDeleteYou're right, Mr. Octo-hobo, that this particular land reform is taking on a racial overtone that is absent from many land reforms we learn about in history. It seems that race and social standing are both at play here as motivating factors behind the redistribution. I suppose it stems from a feeling of colonial injustice. Perhaps, though, Mugabe is not simply retaliating in anger that his countrymen were oppressed for centuries, but ultimately feels like those people who were in power did not have a legitimate claim to that power, and that that power was stolen and rightfully belongs to the natural inhabitants of the country, and the fact that that power is still in the hands of the usurpers is unacceptable. It is completely justifiable by this line of reasoning, and comes off not simply as bitter retaliation, but as justice.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really complex issue and I agree with the previous blogs on this subject. I can totally understand how it is justified for Mugabe to redistribute land to its rightful owners. That being said, it is unreasonable to do so at the cost of hurting your people. I think there are many other solutions to this problem that would help right the colonial injustices while preventing a collapse in the economy. Mugabe may be giving land to its rightful owners, but at the same time he is increasing the struggles of those same people. I think it is important to take into account the negative effects colonialism had on Mugabe's ancestors and how it drastically altered the future of Africa. However, it doesn't make sense to correct injustices by hurting everyone. It seems to me that Mugabe is preserving and prolonging the negative impact colonialism had on his people.
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