VOA标准英语2009年-In Zimbabwe, Controversy Still Accompanies

By Scott Bobb
Harare
23 October 2009
 
Zimbabwe farm
Almost 10 years ago, Zimbabwe embarked¹ on a controversial land reform program that the government said was aimed at distributing fertile farmland owned by a few thousand white farmers to thousands of impoverished² black Zimbabweans. The government said the land had been taken illegally from black Zimbabweans during the colonial era and it was righting a historic wrong. But white farmers say they purchased the land and own legal title under a system set up by colonial Britain 100 years ago and accepted by Zimbabwe's government at independence in 1980. The program continues and is still marked by controversy³. Critics blame it for the country's economic decline. But Mr. Mugabe and his ZANU PF party say western sanctions are to blame.

Evening is falling at Spring Farm in Karoi, about 200 kilometers north of Harare. Owner Temba Mliswa is bringing his herds⁴ in for the night.

He received 800 hectares seven years ago under Zimbabwe's land reform program. It nationalized some 4500 commercial farms owned by white farmers and distributed them to thousands of black Zimbabweans.

 
Temba Mliswa
Mliswa farms tobacco, maize⁵ and beans and raises cattle, goats and sheep. "The whole land reform is noble and I think there will always be a debate, when was it supposed to happen, when was it not suppose to happen. For me, I am a product of the land reform. I've done well. I've done more than the white farmers used to do," he said.

Mliswa took over the farm after the previous owner, Alan Parsons, was beaten and driven away by a gang. Mliswa also took ownership of the buildings, cattle and other facilities that were not supposed to be part of the redistribution. Parsons, according to several farmers, received no compensation and now lives in Australia.

John Worsick was also driven off his farm. He founded the Justice for Agriculture Trust.

He says President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party launched the land program for political reasons.

 
John Worsick
"Mugabe knows that he has lost the support he had. The support was traditionally from rural areas," Worsick says, "He knows he has lost that. But he believes emphatically that he can, not win that back, but he can turn it back to him through a terror campaign, intimidation⁶ and terror out there, coupled to food, controlling food out there."

Critics say land seizures⁷ are largely responsible for the 40 percent drop in economic production in Zimbabwe over the past decade. They contend that very few of the seized farms are commercially productive. And they say a large number of black farm workers left the farms when ownership was transferred, fueling the country's 90 percent unemployment rate. 

Mr. Mugabe and ZANU-PF leaders, whose families own some of the largest farms, blame the economic decline on western sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe because of human rights violations⁸.

Farm seizures intensified⁹ this year after Mr. Mugabe entered into a power sharing arrangement with former opposition¹⁰ leader and now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who says the seizures should stop.

The violence linked to them continues.

In Chegutu, north of Harare, the farms of Ben and Laura Freeth and her parents were burnt under mysterious circumstances. "They broke into my parents' house in April on three occasions. There was a break-and-entry charge. They were not arrested. Our workers were assaulted. One guy's head was fractured. The other guy, they broke his feet. No arrests made. And all the crops stolen, all the equipment stolen," Laura said.

 
Virginia Sibanda
Virginia Sibanda supervised a sewing cooperative on the farm that made linens¹¹ and tablecloths¹². Everything was lost in the blaze. "Right now we are clearing the ashes because we no longer have work to do," she says, "All the materials and finished items were gutted¹³ in the blaze."

Many people were disturbed by the violence that accompanied the seizures. But farm-owner Temba Mliswa says it happened because the owners resisted the transfer. "I've never known a revolution that has no blood. And this is something that of course was a revolution and it had blood on both sides," Mliswa says, "You also had blacks being killed in the process, whites being killed in the process."

University of Zimbabwe Professor Eldred Masunungure says support for land reform is widespread because a small minority was seen as controlling most of the good land.

"It's a recipe for social and political disaster and upheaval," Masunungure says, "So in terms of the principle of land reform, that is accepted across the board. But the method, the methodology of doing so is where there is contestation."

Some experts say compensation for farmers who lost their farms should be examined.

In addition, they say land re-distribution has stripped Zimbabwean agriculture of many of its best farmers and that black farmers should be helped to gain the skills they need to operate successful commercial farms.

But without the help of the displaced farmers that will take time.

1 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

2 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

5 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

6 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

7 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

8 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

9 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 linens   

n.亚麻布( linen的名词复数 )；家庭日用织品

参考例句：

• All linens and towels are provided. 提供全套日用织品和毛巾。 来自辞典例句
• Linen, Table Linens, Chair Covers, Bed and Bath Linens. Linen. 采购产品亚麻布，亚麻布，椅子套子，床和沭浴亚麻布。 来自互联网

12 tablecloths   

n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）
• At the moment the cause of her concern was a pile of soiled tablecloths. 此刻她关心的事是一堆弄脏了的台布。 来自辞典例句

13 gutted   

adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》