The land grab began in 2000 after the Zimbabwean people voted NO in a referendum to accept a new constitution. Mugabe was angry to the point of being almost apoplectic.

Despite his appearing on national television that evening and stating that his government would accept the decision of the people, he had already ordered the taking of the first farms.

Within days, there was anarchy on the farms, and workers were beaten and killed, along with commercial farmers.

Appeals to those that should uphold law and order went unheard and unheeded – the ZRP claimed that they could not intervene on a ‘political’ matter.

Almost ten years later, the agricultural sector of Zimbabwe has virtually ceased to exist. Production has dwindled to almost nothing, and there are only a few remaining commercial farmers - and they continue to resist moves to take over the farms.

The new ‘owners’ of the commercial farms are big wigs in Mugabe’s government, officials from his ZANU PF party, officers in the police, army and air force - while some other land has been given to the likes of the RBZ governor, Gideon Gono - the equivalent of thirty pieces of silver in my mind.

The land grab was initially sold to the people as a return of the land to the ‘landless’ blacks to correct the imbalance of land ownership.

The result is the land in the hands of those that know nothing of land husbandry, and have even less intention of actually using the land.

In Mugabe’s mind, he has not miss-led the people - he has just been not totally forthright with the truth.

Now we have ZANU PF wanting to railroad another version of the constitution through parliament. Known as the Kariba Draft, this version still has much work in it, but Mugabe wants it to go through now.

It is a rough draft, nothing more - and will need the nod from the people before it can be tabled.

Resistance will be met, and it will probably be offered to the people as yet another referendum. Regardless of the outcome, Mugabe will have held his trump cards back. The Land grab will probably mutate to the firm grab as ZANU PF seek to suck all that is good out of the dying Zimbabwean economy.

Strangely, they do not see anything wrong with the imposition of their will upon the people - but when we look at the last thirty years, we realise that if Mugabe wants it, it happens.

Whilst ZANU PF continue to pilfer, rob and steal from the country, Mugabe turns on the Western world, suggesting that the sanctions in place are full and economic, and illegal. I must mention that the Western media is not welcome in Zimbabwe, and in the event that any international media is invited into Zimbabwe, there reports have to be filtered through the President’s office.

Mugabe would prefer that the world allows him and his wife (she who beats up on reporters in Hong Kong and then hides behind ‘diplomatic immunity’ (though I see nothing ‘diplomatic’ in an assault) to visit where they will, spending their hard earned (ill gotten) money as they wish… while the people of Zimbabwe, starve to death without any succour or hope.

Mugabe’s imposition is not the choice of the people.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man