Zimbabwe MPs confront crisis

Land reform has precipitated an economic crisis

The Zimbabwean parliament has reconvened for its final session before presidential elections, amid warnings that the country's economy is on the verge of collapse.

Presidential elections are to be held by April next year, at a time of ongoing political crisis sparked by the government's controversial land redistribution policy.

President Robert Mugabe arrived amid heavy security and was uncompromising in his speech to MPs, saying the government would not be deflected from its land reform plans by economic problems.

He said the programme of forcible acquisition of thousands of mainly white-owned commercial farms would "complete the struggle for the complete decolonisation of our country and our continent as a whole".

Observers say the policy has been the catalyst for a major economic decline over the past year.

We are going through our great depression because of the political tornado that has hit our land

Nigel Chanakira, Zimbabwean economist

Zimbabwe has run out of foreign exchange and it faces a looming food crisis.

Inflation and unemployment rates stand at more than 60% and more than 60% of Zimbabweans now live below the poverty line.

Finance Minister Simba Makoni has admitted to the BBC that the country is experiencing severe problems.

"We have major contractions of economic activities across all sections, some much more than others. Tourism has virtually collapsed and manufacturing is suffering lots of closures," he said .

Food crisis

Analysts predict Zimbabwe will need to import at least 500,000 tonnes of grain in the next few months if food shortages are to be averted by the end of the year.

"We are going through our great depression because of the political tornado that has hit our land," said Zimbabwean economist Nigel Chanakira.

There are fears of more political violence when elections are held next year

Mr Mugabe's land reforms have been coupled with political violence in which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change has been the main target.

At least 34 people were killed in the run-up to parliamentary elections in June, 2000, and human rights groups say 19,000 people were tortured.

Mr Mugabe, who has been in power since independence in 1980, is planning to stand for another term in office.