The following article was taken from http://allafrica.com/stories/200712170208.html, and has been posted here in response to my letter directed to President Mugabe but written to many people in Zimbabwe and in other places back in August based on what Yahweh showed me. I just hope the country can get it together - because now is their opportunity to do so.
The Herald (Harare)
EDITORIAL
17 December 2007
Posted to the web 17 December 2007
Harare
HEAVY rains that have pounded most parts of Zimbabwe, though insufficient in some areas, have raised hopes for a better harvest to blunt the harsh effects of successive droughts over the past seasons.
The rains have brought a sigh of relief to both rural and urban communities that were battling to get food.
With these rains, it is now not time to fold back our hands.
It is now time to deliver.
The Meteorological Office has forecast above normal rains for this season, hence the current rains falling in most parts of the country.
Since Zimbabwe is in the middle of its agricultural revolution, our energies should now be directed at ensuring full production on the farms and make this season the "Mother of all agricultural seasons".
We all have an obligation to shame critics of our historic land distribution exercise.
The success of the programme depends on productivity.
During past seasons, some farmers complained that they were unable to plant early enough owing to delays in getting inputs.
Farmers -- as we have reported in the past -- can overcome this by buying inputs early instead of waiting for the last minute.
The Government has already shown its total commitment towards providing farmers with crop inputs, fuel and machinery.
It is now up to farmers to play their part and ensure the land is productively used to attain food self-sufficiency.
Indeed, the burden now lies squarely on the shoulders of farmers, to ensure all the hard work by the Government to put in place all they require to produce, is not in vain.
We therefore applaud the Government for coming up with packages designed, not only to boost agricultural production, but to financially reward farmers for their hard work.
We believe this season should be the turning point in agricultural production.
Everything has been done and continues to be done to support farmers, and with the prediction of above to normal rainfall, there should not be any excuse for failure.
To boost production, the Government gave farmers tractors and ox-drawn farm machinery and implements.
We have reported time and again that these are not for decorating farm homes and homesteads but are tools with which to turn wastelands into greenlands.
The targets which have been set -- at least 2 million hectares of maize, 400 000 ha small grains, 600 000ha tobacco, 120 000ha soybeans, 20 000ha groundnuts, 400 000ha cotton and 56 000ha sugarcane -- should be met.
Massive production is not only confined to crops, but also beef, chicken and pork. This is also the surest way of eliminating food shortages.
Meanwhile, warnings by the Met Office of flooding in some parts of the country and which have already hit parts of Muzarabani, should be taken seriously.
Perhaps the storm will move away or dissipate, or the heavy cloud from the north may bring less rain than expected in certain parts of the country, and there will not be any serious flooding.
But that would not mean the warning was not necessary, or that warnings should not be issued, until people are being swept away by flooded rivers.
It is better to go on alert and be prepared a score of times than to be caught napping.
