Land Reform Issue Dominates First Day of Zimbabwe Investment Forum

from VOA news:


The three principals in Zimbabwe's troubled unity government differed sharply on the vexed question of land reform on the opening day Thursday of a conference aimed at convincing international investors to bring capital to the country's economic recovery.

President Robert Mugabe called on Britain to pay restitution to farmers whose properties were seized by his government in the controversial fast-track land reform program which it launched in 2000 and which has been blamed for the country's economic collapse.

Mr. Mugabe told delegates attending Zimbabwe International Investment Conference that the responsibility of compensating the white commercial farmers rested "on the shoulders of the British government and it's allies." The president said Zimbabwe will only compensate white farmers for improvement to properties seized for land redistribution....