Rainfall, Final Whinge About AI, The Dreaded Statutory Instrument 6 and the Start of the Zambian Resettlement Program.

A clear sunrise for a change

I cannot get away with not writing about our recent weather here, where we live in Portugal. Our rain falls in winter, unlike Zimbabwe in summer despite being in the same calendar months. Normally, it is around 800-1000mm per year, similar to what it was at home on the farm in Darwendale. A perfect season on the farm, depending on distribution. As all farmers know, distribution of rainfall is as important as the amount, especially in subtropical countries such as Zimbabwe. To the south of us in Portugal, in the Alentejo, which is cattle and fruit country, the annual rainfall is very similar to Bulawayo, with cold winter nights and extremely hot days in summer, with a rainfall between 400mm and 600mm. The Algarve is slightly drier and hotter, hence the attraction to its beaches, although a lot of fruit, avocados and citrus are also grown there under irrigation.

It was Rozanne's birthday this week, and it took her friend Margret's help to help her blow out the candles.

As you know, normal seasons are averages, and every year is different to the extent that this last year, we here in our village recorded some 1567mm of rain. An extremely wet season in either of the countries, Portugal or Zimbabwe and certainly one with far too much rain for a successful tobacco crop. In the present new year, we already had below-zero temperatures and cool weather, which, combined with rain, makes it a much more unpleasant winter than we experienced on the farm, despite us also having frost there. That is my only complaint about Portugal, it is too wet and cold in winter. Rozanne loves the cool weather but not me, and I cannot wait to get the log fire lit in the evening. It provides a warm ambience as well as heat. Just as on the farm in my childhood on the Island of Mull, before central heating, we relied on wood fires, no shortage of timber. As a child, I was brought up on the Island, where rainfall averages 2 metres annually, though it is mild year-round compared to the east and central Scotland. There are also huge variations in rainfall in a small country like Scotland, where, although you would not guess it, rainfall in Edinburgh is closer to Harare's than to Mull's, and less than a third of what we recorded on Mull. Here endeth the weather lesson.

Not a winterland in Northern Europe but one in Portugal recently

“There is no doubt the weather has an impact on my mood. The cold makes me draw into myself, the mild and moderate I look forward to what the day will bring, while excessive heat is oppressive and can even be stifling.” - Peter McSporran

In my sedentary old age, and partly due to my eyes getting tired when I read, I spend a fair bit of time in the morning, before rising and in the evening before going to sleep in the watching of podcasts on farming, fishing and wildlife. Recently I have read about what AI can do in placing you, it seems especially women, in poses or embarrassing postures, even naked to the extent it is difficult to determine if it is real or not, unless you are the subject. I agree it is downright invasive of one’s privacy and should be illegal. Well, the same applies to some of the podcasts I find myself watching, nothing worse than realising something is utter bullshit. Many are so amateurish you can detect immediately and cease viewing but others not so, and you waste time viewing until you realise the hoax. Hoax is a kind word in many cases. This is also true of many non-live news sites, to the extent I now question everything. Even the BBC plays with the truth it seems. 

“Oh, if it were possible, all fake reels, podcasts and news transmissions should have to carry some form of guarantee to prove its provenance. No chance of that, which just gives more credence that we're moving into a more and more make-believe world.” - Peter McSporran  

On returning from Scotland after taking my daughters, Storm and Janine, on a familiarisation tour of my country of birth, I learned on the 10th of January 2002 that the Zimbabwean government propagated one of the most vindictive pieces of legislation against white commercial farmers, the dreaded Statutory Instrument Number 6 (SI6). So not only were they taking our farms, but we were being forced to look after the labour their actions displaced, compensating them in a way that would leave many farm owners destitute. This legislation stated that on losing their farms through confiscation, the farm owner, company or individual would have to pay their labourers the following:

1. Severance pay equivalent to the full wages of the employee for a period of three months prior to the date of termination of his employment; and

2, Wages in lieu of notice under the contract of employment or Agricultural Industry Agreement; and

4. An amount equivalent to twice the employee’s current monthly wage for each completed year of continuous service with the employer; an

4. An amount of five thousand dollars in respect of the relocation of the employee; and

5. The gratuity on termination of employment payable to the employee in terms of section 23 of the Agricultural Industry Agreement; and

6. The cash equivalent of any vacation leave accumulated by the employee in the year in which the termination of his employment occurred

Bad enough just reading this, but on the commercial farms of Zimbabwe, workers and their families often stayed on the same farm for generations, which meant many farmers would be paying as much as forty years equivalent twice monthly salary to some employees at their present salary, enough to bankrupt even going concerns let alone a business in dire straits due to its inability to farm because of the actions of a hostile Government which was meant to protect them as citizens. Was anything said internationally, especially in the corridors of Whitehall? Nope! They further added that if not paid, it would be collected in the event that compensation was paid, or could even affect the payment of compensation for the improvements. Not surprisingly, twenty-five years later, we are still waiting for our compensation, while their actions in taking the land and destroying the farms led to the highest inflation recorded in the world, 89.7 sextillion percent, meaning the money the farmworker did not immediately spend soon became worth nothing. Needless to say, the vast majority of farmers abided by the law and paid it. I remember at the time meeting a number of farmers outside the bank after drawing the cash to pay off their labour, informing me they had now no savings left and unless compensation was paid, as was legally required, they would be destitute, and destitute they became. Dreadful for someone who, a few months before, had a home, farm and viable business. In hindsight, the few who did not pay, using whatever funds they had to buy foreign currency at exorbitant rates, were the wise, but then they had to live with their conscience, while their workers became totally destitute. I often wonder why the Commercial Farmers' Union did not challenge the legality of the SI6 in court; I presume it did not, under legal advice.

“One of the many vindictive actions, but perhaps the worst, following the confiscation of the farms, was the introduction of the SI6.” - Peter McSporran

On returning from Scotland, with the agreements, or rather the agreement for financing farmers, a tome, finalised and signed I decided to start putting in the mechanisms to enable the move of these farmers to Zambia. I formed a company, Agricultural Advisors International, in Zambia, whose role was, first and foremost, the identification and vetting of farmers who wanted to move, including due diligence on their previous farming operations, made easy by obtaining their historical tobacco production records from the Zimbabwe Tobacco Association. At the same time, identify districts in Zambia suitable for tobacco production and any farms within these districts available for lease. The tobacco companies were adamant that funds could not be used for purchases; they obviously thought they would have more control over farmers on leased land than over those on owned land. Once again, the obvious reason was that if they had a disagreement with the bank, without land ownership, it would be extremely difficult for the farmer to borrow money independently, thus enabling them to replace them if they so wished. We were to learn quickly the leadership of Universal Leaf Tobacco (ULT) in the region. Mark Neeves, assisted by Tony Butler, was much more motivated by self-interest than by the tobacco company or the farmers. Vernon Cole, the regional director, was on his way out, that is, retiring; nevertheless, I feel he was amiss in not stepping in at times; I would not like to say he was complicit in Neeve's behaviour, his replacement in waiting, then and in Neeve’s future actions, Butler certainly was. Only they will know. I am told Mark Neeves has passed. 

Disclaimer: Copyright Peter McSporran. The content in this blog represents my personal views and does not reflect corporate entities.