ABSTRACT
This paper summarises the Government of Zimbabwe’s perspective on land reform issues, as presented at the 1998 SOAS conference. Its contents are derived from a press statement issued by the Zimbabwe High Commission in London in December 1997 and circulated at the conference, and from the presentations and contributions made by representatives of the Zimbabwe government at the 1998 conference. Information derived from the press statement is verbatim, and clearly referenced in the text. Other information derives from the transcript of the conference presentation, and is also clearly referenced as such in the text. As with any transcript of a conference, which includes unstructured discussion such as questions and answers, the transcript itself does not lend itself to published form. Every effort has been made to fully and neutrally represent the main messages of the material presented. While responsibility for compiling this material ultimately lies with the editor of this chapter, all such material is transparently reflected in the press statement, the conference transcript, and the overheads made available to the editor by the representatives of the Government of Zimbabwe. It should be pointed out that the emphasis of conference discussions was often audience-led, hence information does not necessarily reflect the representative’s own emphasis on the range of issues related to land reform.
