The farm chickens come home to roost

A surprising development in the continuing land-grab

Following my exclusive on the renewed invasion and take-over of white-owned farms, I hear news of an ironic twist in this torturous tale - one which, for anyone who knows the truth behind Zimbabwe's so-called land reform, will bring a rueful smile to the lips. To put it succinctly, here is a case of the invader...invaded!

Back in the time when white farms were falling to Zanu-PF's so-called War Veterans at a regular rate, a female war veteran named Rejoice Sibanda-Ncube was not backward in coming forward. She targeted - and obtained - Redwood Farm in Nyamandlovu, Matabeleland North.

The farm was originally owned and run by white farmer Alex Goosen. He had to go, driven out by machete-waving Zanu-PF militia men, and Rejoice took over. No doubt rejoicing. But not any more. This week she was forced to flee, in the face of machetes wielded by...guess who? Yes, more Zanu-PF militia men.

On the brink

Why the talks on a government of national unity are failing

The Zimbabwe power-sharing deal between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is hanging by a thread today, Wednesday, with the MDC for the first time considering pulling out of the negotiations altogether.

The stumbling block continues to be the allocation of the various Ministries between the parties. I'm told that so far 27 have been successfully allocated, but four key ministries remain undecided. They are Finance, Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Local Government.

Mugabe's Zanu-PF want Finance and Home Affairs, leaving the less pivotal Foreign Affairs and Local Government to the MDC. The MDC want the complete opposite arrangement. Result - deadlock.