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Zusatztext Laurie's book is a moving account of the controversies of Zimbabwe's land reform exercise. [It] is a refreshing read, well researched and with evidence that it was written by someone with detailed knowledge of the turbulent story of Zimbabwe's land question. Informationen zum Autor Charles Laurie was born and raised in Zimbabwe and has had a lifelong interest in the agricultural politics of the region. With an advanced Master's degree from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate from the University of Oxford, he has dedicated his academic career to understanding the political, social and economic influences that undermine development in southern Africa. Klappentext Why did President Robert Mugabe risk the social and economic wellbeing of Zimbabwe by forcibly seizing nearly all commercial farms in the nation? Why did he then redistribute the farmland to those with little or no farming experience? The Land Reform Deception offers compelling answers to these questions by drawing from an extensive set of empirical data, including interviews with both farmers and government officials. Zusammenfassung The Land Reform Deception looks at a particularly contentious period in Zimbabwe's recent history, from 2000-2008, when the government seized commercial farms using illegal and violent methods against a largely unarmed population of farmers and farm workers. Robert Mugabe's government began the seizures on a small, targeted scale in an effort to suppress political opposition groups, but they soon escalated into an out-of-control frenzy targeting all farms in the country.The state claimed that the seizures occurred in response to a public cry for land redistribution and to rectify colonial-era injustices, and were part of a structured land reallocation program. Yet, land was often distributed ad hoc to those with little or no farming experience. As a result, agricultural output contracted and inflation and unemployment rose dramatically in what became a social and economic disaster for the country. In The Land Reform Deception, Charles Laurie asks why the state would target its own agricultural industry using such violent methods and risk such dire consequences. He also seeks to uncover the major actors and their motivations and strategies. Laurie argues that the seizure of the most valuable farms was largely carried out by politically influential individuals for financial and political gain, rather than to address historical injustices. In fact, he finds that the scale on which the farm invasions were carried out and the violent methods used were never part of a planned government land policy. Indeed, Laurie shows that Mugabe initially opposed the seizures, knowing that they would wreck the economy, only to later support them in order to appease his supporters and retain political power. Incorporating unprecedented empirical evidence gathered from in-depth interviews with senior politicians, members of the secretive Central Intelligence Organization, the military and police, along with farmers and farm workers who were targeted during the invasions, The Land Reform Deception strips away official explanations and delves into the political and economic drivers that triggered the seizure of commercial farms in Zimbabwe. Inhaltsverzeichnis Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Figures Tables Abbreviations and Acronyms Map of Zimbabwe Liberation War and Gukurahundi Timeline Land Seizure Era Timeline Land Seizure Era Violence and Farmer Eviction Timeline 1. Overview of the Land Seizure Era 2. ZANU-PF's Land Redistribution Gamble 3. Mugabe Targets Agriculture: Land Reform or Political Gimmick? 4. Strategy behind Farm Seizures 5. Suppressing the MDC 6. Seizing Land and Agri-Property 7. Moving onto Farms: The Emergence of Extortion and "Protection" Schemes 8. Farmer Eviction Methods 9. Impact on Commercial Agr...
