GOVERNMENT MINISTER SAYS LAND REDISTRIBUTION

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