Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I thank my colleague, Deputy Michael D. Higgins, for generously sharing time with me. I welcome the motion. Zimbabwe, that most beautiful of African countries, with its wonderful people has a wonderful capacity to recover, if its friends, within Africa and in the rest of the world, come to its assistance. It is a fertile country, has an enterprising people, and a capacity for tourism and food production.

We correctly condemn the monstrousness of President Mugabe's regime and what has emerged. The root causes of what happened in Zimbabwe, alongside his personal and political failings, lie in the fact that when Mugabe came to power he immediately set about, to the general applause of the world, making sure people could read and write and that a minimum access to a rudimentary public health system was made available. When the IMF started its process of decimating public services in developing countries Zimbabwe was among the first areas to take a hit. Unlike the South African Government after apartheid, President Mugabe borrowed to fund public services, for which his government was severely punished by the International Monetary Fund. I disagree with Deputy Timmins to the extent that the Lancaster House agreement left to one side the issue of land redistribution to poor African farmers, the majority of whom are women who feed their families and send their small surpluses to market. It is not good enough for white farmers in South Africa and Zimbabwe to suggest they can have 3,000 acres or more while the 100 to 500 African farmers who live on these large estates can have less than one quarter of an acre per head to grow a few rows of maize and tomatoes. Many of these farming families have six or seven children.

The Irish experience was raised. Ireland's experience in this regard was wonderful because we addressed the land issue in a reasonable and politically acceptable manner, first in the 19th century through the 40 shilling freehold and, second, in the post-independence through the Land Commission. We should discuss this model with Africans because one cannot secure peace in Zimbabwe without land reform.

I attended the civil society part of the Lancaster House conference with the late Seán McBride, a former Minister for Foreign Affairs. It was clear to all the participants, as has been clear in Kenya recently, that we need to arrive at a settlement. President Mugabe will go and a new government will be formed. I have great confidence in the ability of the people of Zimbabwe to overcome the current nightmare and start afresh.

The Government and European Union need to be realistic about a land settlement. More than ever, leadership is required, particularly from President Mbeki of South Africa who, having been around this course, needs to show courage, as does his Government, by doing not only what is politic, but also what is right. In return, the Government and European Union should acknowledge the significant economic burden South Africa is bearing in sheltering within its borders millions of illegal immigrants, many of whom are effectively refugees.

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