You can sum up the two major events of the past week in a sentence: diamond suspension: not happening; action on unity government: another deadline, yes another one. Poor Zimbabwe, disappointed and let down again and sadly we are not surprised about either the blood diamonds or the blood stained politics.

You can't sum up in a few words the present, desperate situation regarding agriculture. I went on a short journey this week, heading south east through countryside once alive with agricultural production: tobacco, maize, fruit, potatoes, cattle and sheep. Now, almost a decade into land reform, the view is of destruction..

Roadside woodlands of indigenous Musasa and Mupfuti (Prince of Wales' Feathers) trees are being hacked down by Zimbabwe's new farmers. Instead of ploughed or growing fields, the view is of raw tree stumps overseen by men in scrappy pole and thatch huts. The tragic irony is that this is open woodland area and all around there are deserted, unused fields. The new caretakers of Zimbabwe's countryside have not grown any food to harvest and so instead they are slashing, burning and destroying yet more land. Even more ironic is the fact that in the dams visible from the road, there is still water for irrigating and so drought or a lack of water cannot be blamed for no production.

Further along the journey eastwards there is a Grain Marketing Board depot. Once thriving, bustling places now the red roofed building with flags fluttering, has no customers or activity. A single cream and brown ox, harnessed to a rusty two wheeled cart stands outside flicking flies off his back. On farms which at this time of year should be, and used to be, green with tobacco or maize as far as the eye could see, now there are deserted unploughed fields and a few mud and thatch huts. Grasslands once crowded with cattle, sheep and even game animals are now empty. For almost the entire 120 kilometre journey the roadside fences are gone and handfuls of scrawny cattle with huge horns graze on the verges. At the railway line which crosses the main road a faded rusting sign reads: 'Flashlights not working.'

Then, between kopjes, comes a single brief glimpse of a green field - blink and you miss it. The sign- board on the road gives it away, it is one of last original commercial farmers that has managed to hold on.

In white paint on a rock high up in a kopje someone has painted the word 'Jesus.' The image sticks in your mind as after a while you try not to look at the legacy that Zanu PF have given to Zimbabwe and try not to think about what they have done to our children's heritage. And you try not to concentrate on how hungry people are going to be or how the assault on producing farmers continues day after day because of the colour of their skin. Until next week, thanks for reading