JOHANNESBURG , 2 June 2008 (IRIN) - Zimbabwe's attempts to feed itself suffered another blow after the state media disclosed that only 13 percent of the planned winter wheat crop had been planted.

The government set a target of cultivating 70,000 hectares of winter wheat after forecasting that this year's maize production would fall short of the national requirement by about one million metric tonnes.

According to the state-controlled The Herald newspaper, only 8,963 hectares of wheat had been planted, 53 percent less than in 2007. The cut-off date for planting to produce a successful winter harvest is usually 10 May.

"We have missed the target, with challenges being shortages of fertilisers and fuel as well as frequent breakdowns of tillage facilities," Agriculture Minister Rugare Gumbo told The Herald.

All purchases of wheat and other grains are controlled by Zimbabwe's Grain Marketing Board (GMB), which holds the state monopoly. A GMB official based in the Mutare area, near the Mozambican border, who declined to be named, recently told IRIN that "there is no winter wheat because nothing has been planted."

In 2007/08 international donor agencies provided food aid to 4.1 million people, more than a third of the population. Zimbabwe is suffering acute shortages of power, fuel and basic commodities, and has an annual inflation ration unofficially estimated at more than one million percent.

President Robert Mugabe reportedly departed on 2 June for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation summit on food security in Rome, Italy.

The European Union (EU) has imposed sanctions, including restrictions on travel to EU member states, on Mugabe and several hundred upper-echelon members of his ZANU-PF party, but the summit is being organised by the UN and so the restrictions fall away.

Mugabe's decision to attend the summit is causing diplomatic consternation and threatens to overshadow the conference. A spokesman for the British government reportedly said: "We think it is particularly unfortunate that he [Mugabe] had decided to attend this meeting, given what he has done in relation to contributing to the difficulties with food supplies in Zimbabwe."

Presidential elections

A second round of voting in Zimbabwe is scheduled for 27 June, to determine whether Mugabe will extend his 28-year-rule, or whether Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), will become Zimbabwe's second president since the country won its independence from Britain in 1980.

The country voted on 29 March to elect local government officials, members of parliament, and the national president, which resulted in ZANU-PF losing control of parliament for the first time since independence, but parliament has not yet been reconvened and the outcome of the presidential run-off ballot is seen as a watershed for Zimbabwe.

There have been widespread reports of post-election violence, which has apparently led to at least 50 deaths and the displacement of thousands of people, including more than 10,000 children.

In a letter marked "privileged private and confidential", but which was leaked to the local media, Tsvangirai launched a blistering attack on South African president Thabo Mbeki, appointed as mediator between Mugabe and Tsvangirai by the Southern African Development Community.

In the correspondence Tsvangirai asked Mbeki to "recuse" himself as mediator because he was not neutral in his dealings with Mugabe, and had betrayed the trust of millions of Zimbabweans since his appointment last year.

"Zimbabwe still had a functioning economy, millions of our citizens had not fled to other countries to escape political and economic crisis, and tens of thousands had not yet died from impoverishment and disease," Tsvangirai claimed.

Mbeki's bad faith

"In fact, since the 29 March election Zimbabwe has plunged into horrendous violence, while you have been mediating. With respect, if we continue like this, there will be no country left," the letter said.

Tsvangirai said Mbeki had acted in bad faith, and it was made clear to South African negotiators appointed by Mbeki "that MDC was no longer willing to participate in any initiative, in any form or shape, under your [Mbeki's] mediation."

Despite this, Mbeki had continued to make representations in meetings and to the media that he maintained the confidence of the MDC.

"It is a universally accepted principle that in mediation between two parties, if one party does not have confidence in the mediator - irrespective of qualification, level of knowledge or perceived sense of success - that mediator must stand down," the letter said.

The letter reiterated the MDC's wish that Mbeki immediately step down from his mediation role, and highlighted the discord between Tsvangirai and Mbeki. "I am writing to once again respectfully inform you that MDC sees your role as mediator as neither appropriate nor effective.

"As a leader, whilst you may not have respect for me as a person, I can only ask you to respect the position that I hold, which position and responsibility has been endorsed by the majority of Zimbabweans, who voted for me."

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