Cablegate: Government Minister Says Land Redistribution

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HARARE 002369

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/PDPA, AF/S, AF/RA
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO ZI
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT MINISTER SAYS LAND REDISTRIBUTION
IS ONLY FOR RULING PARTY MEMBERS HARARE

1. According to an article in the pro-government
"Daily Mirror, Minister for Youth, Gender and
Employment Creation Elliot Manyika has threatened to
"repossess land allocated to people who do not support
the ruling party."

2. A report in the October 28 edition of the "Daily
Mirror," under headline "Fast-track land is for ZANU PF
members only, says Manyika: Party Machinery to weed out
enemies of Third Chimurenga," quotes Manyika as saying:

3. ". . .I am going to visit each and every farming
community in the country that benefited under
the fast track program to set up ZANU PF
structures. If you were allocated land by this
government then you must be a member of the
party. . . If you're MDC then what are you
doing in a program for `scavengers' or of a
peasant farming community who are like
mushrooms. . .? This program has seen the
determination of our president and the country
in general resulting in some sanctions being
imposed on individuals, se we won't let our
enemies benefit from it. . ."

SULLIVAN

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