Zimbabwean Ruling Party Endorses Land Accord Signed in NigeriaThe ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has endorsed the Abuja agreement on the land issue and called for a speedy implementation of the pact to sustain the momentum it created, The Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday.ZANU-PF Deputy Secretary for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo said on Monday that the political bureau of the party emphasized that all parties to the agreement should fulfill their commitments and honor their obligations if the initiative was to be successful. "Furthermore, the Politburo stressed the need for urgency in implementing the agreement if the momentum created by Abuja is to be sustained," Moyo said in a statement. At the Abuja meeting on September 6, Britain agreed to provide and help mobilize funds for Zimbabwe's resettlement program while Zimbabwe reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the exercise according to the country's constitution and laws. The ZANU-PF's Politburo had met on last Thursday to review the agreement but adjourned to Monday for further analysis and debate of the pact. On Monday, it welcomed the recognition and acceptance by the Commonwealth foreign ministers, who took part in the meeting brokered by Nigeria, that the land issue was at the core of the crisis in Zimbabwe with all other issues being consequential. The ZANU-PF also hailed Britain's confirmation of its commitment to making a significant financial contribution to a land reform program and undertaking to encourage other international donors to do the same to enable the Zimbabwean government to pay full and fair compensation for land acquired for resettlement. "The Politburo noted that the next step to move the Abuja agreement forward is for the donor community, coordinated by the UNDP (the United Nations Development Program) with the assistance of the government of Nigeria in collaboration with the government of Zimbabwe, prepare a project proposal for the purpose of setting up a fund to support Zimbabwe's land reform in terms of the Abuja agreement," Moyo said. |
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