'Zim land grab in line with SADC objectives'

The process of land redistribution in Zimbabwe appeared to be in line with the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) objectives, the organisation's new executive-secretary Prega Ramsamy said on Sunday. "One of the fundamentals of the SADC is to create sustainable growth and development to eradicate poverty," he told the SABC's Newsmaker programme. "In Zimbabwe, we have a situation whereby the government is trying to address the situation of poverty through redistributing the resources in the country. Of course, there is always some resistance to change," he said. Questioned about apparent undemocratic processes in Zimbabwe related to land seizures, the media and judiciary, he said that a consultative process was under way to "ensure that things are done within the rule of law". This process, he said, has been "very fruitful and constructive" so far.