Zimbabwe's historical land question

At the time when Zimbabwe (formerly known as Rhodesia) emerged from its period of white minority rule and became independant in 1980, there was a marked racial imbalance in the ownership and distribution of land. Zimbabwean whites, although making up less than 1% of the population, owned more than 80% of the arable land. (Note, however, that this figure also includes the land owned by foreign businesses and multinational corporations.)

This situation came about as a consequence of long-term policies aimed at dispossessing the majority black population, implemented by successive colonial governments over almost a century, the last of which was the "home-grown colonial" government led by Ian Smith.

Following the fall of the white minority government, Robert Mugabe became President of Zimbabwe in 1980 and began a massive program of land redistribution in the late 1990s. Said to be aimed at redressing the imbalances and restoring fairness to Zimbabwean society, the land reform movement has been marred by great bitterness and considerable violence.

Currently, Zimbabwe suffers from widespread food shortages, an inflation rate of over 300%, and a bitter political struggle between the ruling ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Domestic and international critics lay much of the blame for the current chaos at the feet of the land reform program. Many Zimbabwean refugees have fled to South Africa or Mozambique, and observers have no doubt that the quality of life for the average Zimbabwean (black or white) has decreased significantly since independence. Many black Zimbabweans now question the policy of land redistribution, at least in its present form, and believe that its implementation threatens the continued existence of Zimbabwe as a nation-state.

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