Biting the Hand That Fed ThemBefore European arrival, the territory that became Zimbabwe was characterized by subsistence farming with primitive methods, no proper wells or irrigation systems, frequent veld burning, and constant vulnerability to periodic droughts and famine. The land was a wilderness teeming with dangerous wild animals, and communities lived under the perpetual threat of raids and tribal warfare over scarce resources.
All of this changed dramatically under Rhodesia. White commercial farmers introduced mechanized agriculture, modern irrigation, fertilizers, and scientific farming techniques that transformed the country into the breadbasket of Southern Africa. Food production soared, diseases were brought under control, and the population exploded from roughly 700,000 in the early 20th century to over 7 million by the late 1990s — a direct result of improved nutrition and agricultural success.
Yet, as the Shona proverb warns, “Kurera imbwa nemukaka inofuma yokuruma” (“If you raise a dog on milk, it grows up to bite you”). In a tragic act of ingratitude, many turned violently on the very farmers who had fed the nation.
This mirrors the Bolsheviks’ brutal liquidation of the productive Kulaks in the Soviet Union and Mao Zedong’s catastrophic land grabs in China — both of which led to mass starvation and economic ruin. Zimbabwe chose the same path of destroying its most productive sector for political revenge rather than building upon it.
All of this changed dramatically under Rhodesia. White commercial farmers introduced mechanized agriculture, modern irrigation, fertilizers, and scientific farming techniques that transformed the country into the breadbasket of Southern Africa. Food production soared, diseases were brought under control, and the population exploded from roughly 700,000 in the early 20th century to over 7 million by the late 1990s — a direct result of improved nutrition and agricultural success.
Yet, as the Shona proverb warns, “Kurera imbwa nemukaka inofuma yokuruma” (“If you raise a dog on milk, it grows up to bite you”). In a tragic act of ingratitude, many turned violently on the very farmers who had fed the nation.
This mirrors the Bolsheviks’ brutal liquidation of the productive Kulaks in the Soviet Union and Mao Zedong’s catastrophic land grabs in China — both of which led to mass starvation and economic ruin. Zimbabwe chose the same path of destroying its most productive sector for political revenge rather than building upon it.
Namibia Proves Land Reform Was Unnecessary
Zimbabwe’s chaotic fast-track land reform in 2000 was not an economic or historical inevitability — it was a political choice with disastrous consequences. Namibia provides the clearest counter-example. Decades after independence, a small white minority still controls the vast majority of productive commercial farmland. Despite this colonial-era imbalance, Namibia has avoided national collapse. Commercial agriculture continues, beef exports persist, and the country has not descended into hyperinflation or famine. Gradual, market-based resettlement was always a viable path. Zimbabwe chose revolutionary disruption instead, destroying productive capacity for symbolic victories.It Doesn’t Matter If the Farmer Is White, Black, Blue or YellowAs Deng Xiaoping famously said: “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.” Applied to agriculture, this is blunt but correct: It doesn’t matter if a farmer is White, Black, Brown, or Green — what matters is whether he can actually farm. Can he maintain irrigation systems, manage machinery, apply modern techniques, access markets, and generate surpluses? Obsessing over the skin color of the landowner while wrecking the infrastructure, skills, and capital that made the land productive was an act of national self-harm. Productivity, not pigmentation, feeds people.The Selective Outrage Over “Sovereignty”The hypocrisy is glaring when we look at Chinese activities across Africa. Chinese firms and workers have taken large-scale roles in agriculture, mining, and land use, often with practices that raise legitimate concerns about environmental damage and labor. Yet the same voices that declared White farmers an existential threat to Zimbabwean sovereignty remain largely silent. There are no mass campaigns about “neo-colonial land grabs” when the new operators are Chinese. Sovereignty suddenly becomes flexible when it suits the narrative. Results matter more than rhetoric.The Brilliance of Gulf Arab PragmatismThe Gulf states — UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia — offer an even sharper lesson. These countries have almost no arable land, yet they refuse to be prisoners of geography or pride. They actively partner with foreign capital, expertise, and farmers worldwide, investing in productive ventures without romantic obsessions over “indigenous ownership.” They prioritize food security and returns over performative independence. Their pragmatic, ideology-light approach has delivered far better outcomes than Zimbabwe’s costly crusade for “justice.”Zimbabwe’s Tragic IronyZimbabwe chased away thousands of skilled White commercial farmers — the very people who made the country the breadbasket of Southern Africa — in the name of liberation and sovereignty. Then came the punchline: large numbers of Zimbabweans migrated to South Africa and ended up working as laborers on farms owned or managed by the same White farmers they had expelled. Kicking out competence, only to follow it abroad as employees, remains one of modern Africa’s most bitter ironies.Zambia’s Intelligent ChoiceZambia took the opposite path and reaped the rewards. After 2000, Zambia welcomed displaced White Zimbabwean farmers, offered them land and security, and allowed them to apply their skills. These farmers boosted Zambia’s maize, tobacco, and overall agricultural output, creating jobs and growth. Zambia demonstrated simple wisdom: skilled farmers are an asset, not a colonial threat to be eliminated.Geopolitical Lessons: China vs RussiaThis same principle — pragmatism over pride — explains the divergent paths of China and Russia.
China, after the disasters of Maoism, swallowed its ideological pride and chose to work with the West. It opened up, attracted foreign investment, technology, and markets, and focused on development above all. The result was the greatest poverty reduction in human history. Even today, China plays the long game brilliantly with Taiwan — using economic ties, patience, and strategic ambiguity rather than rushing into destructive conflict.
Russia, by contrast, chose silly ideological games in the 1990s and beyond. Instead of humbly learning from the West like China, it stumbled through chaos, nationalism, and confrontation. The 1990s became a period of economic collapse and humiliation. Today, Russia has swallowed the bait in Ukraine, trapped in a grinding, costly war that has isolated it and drained its resources. Pride and performative sovereignty delivered silly prizes and strategic dead-ends.
China understood that catching mice matters more than the color of the cat — or the flag flying over the land. Russia is still learning that lesson the hard way.The Clear VerdictHistory rewards pragmatism. Namibia showed radical land seizures were unnecessary. The Gulf Arabs and Zambia prove that partnering with skilled producers beats chasing them away. China’s rise versus Russia’s quagmire demonstrates that ignoring short-term ideological pride in favor of long-term results is the winning strategy.
Zimbabwe chose theater over results. The country is still paying the price. In farming, economics, and geopolitics alike, the farmer (or nation) who focuses on productivity — not skin color, slogans, or historical grievances — ultimately wins. Everything else is expensive folklore.
China, after the disasters of Maoism, swallowed its ideological pride and chose to work with the West. It opened up, attracted foreign investment, technology, and markets, and focused on development above all. The result was the greatest poverty reduction in human history. Even today, China plays the long game brilliantly with Taiwan — using economic ties, patience, and strategic ambiguity rather than rushing into destructive conflict.
Russia, by contrast, chose silly ideological games in the 1990s and beyond. Instead of humbly learning from the West like China, it stumbled through chaos, nationalism, and confrontation. The 1990s became a period of economic collapse and humiliation. Today, Russia has swallowed the bait in Ukraine, trapped in a grinding, costly war that has isolated it and drained its resources. Pride and performative sovereignty delivered silly prizes and strategic dead-ends.
China understood that catching mice matters more than the color of the cat — or the flag flying over the land. Russia is still learning that lesson the hard way.The Clear VerdictHistory rewards pragmatism. Namibia showed radical land seizures were unnecessary. The Gulf Arabs and Zambia prove that partnering with skilled producers beats chasing them away. China’s rise versus Russia’s quagmire demonstrates that ignoring short-term ideological pride in favor of long-term results is the winning strategy.
Zimbabwe chose theater over results. The country is still paying the price. In farming, economics, and geopolitics alike, the farmer (or nation) who focuses on productivity — not skin color, slogans, or historical grievances — ultimately wins. Everything else is expensive folklore.
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