----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisa Toro" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 8:31 AM
Subject: Fw: [Mwananchi] Tsvangirai embraces land reforms


>
>
> Tsvangirai embraces land reforms
>
>
>
> Municipal Reporter
> FACED with mounting electoral defeats and defections by Harare City
> councillors, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is now embracing land reforms in
a
> bid to avert the further disintegration of his party.
>
> However, the move is likely to cost him the support of whites who were
> bankrolling the opposition party and mobilising its international support.
>
> In a dramatic U-turn, Mr Tsvangirai, who has previously attacked the land
> reform programme, stressed that if his party came to power, it would not
> surrender land to evicted white farmers.
>
> "We cannot go back to the pre-2000 situation in which Mr Joe Bloke who has
> now run away, is in Australia, we say come and get back your land," Mr
> Tsvangirai told South Africa’s Sunday Independent newspaper.
>
> "We cannot go back to that," he added, according to Reuters.
>
> This comes at a time when the opposition MDC continues to disintegrate
while
> the ruling Zanu-PF has made serious inroads into its urban support-base by
> winning back parliamentary seats and local government elections.
>
> Mr Tsvangirai’s policy about-turn has, however, failed to stem the tide of
> defections by MDC councillors who are jumping from what they perceive to
be
> a sinking ship with Councillor George Vlahakis (ward 2, Arcadia, Eastlea,
> Hillside and Cranborne) dealing a heavy blow to the opposition party by
> rejoining Zanu-PF.
>
> He becomes the fourth councillor to abandon the opposition party.
>
> Clr Vlahakis’ resignation and rejoining Zanu-PF brings to two the number
of
> ruling party councillors in Harare.
>
> There are now three independent councillors, including acting mayor Clr
> Sekesayi Makwavarara, while the number of MDC councillors has been reduced
> from 45 to 41 in a space of three weeks.
>
> There are indications that more councillors could resign as disgruntlement
> in the opposition political party has reached fever-pitch.
>
> "The councillors fear if they come out, the MDC will organise its thugs
> against them," said a source at council.
>
> Clr Vlahakis cited continued mistrust by the party leadership as the
reason
> for dumping the MDC.
>
> He said he would concentrate on serving the interests of Harare residents,
> an aspiration he said he could not pursue and fulfil under the MDC.
>
> "The residents require committed city fathers whose agenda is simply
service
> delivery," he said.
>
> "While some councillors have resigned from the opposition to become
> independents, my position is that I am resigning from MDC party and am
> joining my original political party, Zanu-PF," he said.
>
> Acting Zanu-PF Harare Province chairman Cde Amos Midzi welcomed Clr
Vlahakis
> back to Zanu-PF, saying the party was a mass organisation that worked with
> all progressive Zimbabweans who wanted to develop the nation.
>
> "We respect individuals who, through their own volition, decide to join
the
> people’s party, Zanu-PF," he said.
>
> Clr Makwavarara was the first Harare councillor to resign from the MDC,
> citing harassment by senior party officials.
>
> She was followed by Clr Grandmore Hakata (ward 4, Mbare), who also cited
> harassment by senior MDC officials.
>
> He also took the decision in solidarity with Clr Makwavarara, who had
> resigned earlier.
>
> Clr Hakata also gave sharp differences and his suspension from the MDC as
> reasons for jumping ship.
>
> Last week another MDC councillor and MDC Harare deputy provincial
organiser
> Tapfumaneyi Jaja (ward 38, Kuwadzana 4) deserted the embattled political
> party, and brought to three the number of independent councillors in
Harare,
> after Clrs Makwavarara and Hakata.
>
> Observers say the latest statement by Mr Tsvangirai supporting land
reforms
> was calculated to lure back supporters who have deserted the MDC en masse
as
> shown by results of by-elections in Zengeza, Kadoma Central, Insiza and
> council ward elections in Chipinge and various parts of the country.
>
> The MDC is widely viewed as a party that favours returning land to white
> settlers if it comes to power.
>
> During the run-up to the 2002 presidential election, Mr Tsvangirai
attacked
> agrarian reform, saying it would create a nation of peasants.
>
> He said because of the land reforms, "vanhu vaakungomera pese-pese kunge
> howa (people were sprouting all over like mushrooms)."
>
> But he told the South African newspaper at the weekend that the MDC would
> not return land to white farmers if it came to power.
>
> "As the MDC we think the method was wrong, the objectives might be right .
.
> . what we want as MDC is to rationalise the reform programme so that it
> becomes equitable, transparent and deals with this historical grievance."
>
> Mr Tsvangirai — who is awaiting judgment on charges of plotting to
> assassinate President Mugabe — said if the MDC came to power it would
carry
> out audits to find out who owned farms and set up a commission to
> redistribute land and help farmers.
>
> However, the Government has already done this through a land review
> committee headed by Dr Charles Utete that carried out the land audits
>
>  The Mulindwas Communication Group
> "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
>             Groupe de communication Mulindwas
> "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
>
>
>
>
>   a..
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
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> for discussions on African affairs.
>
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