Ann Oosthuizen

Land to the Tiller Ann Oosthuizen

In 1974, one of the most extensive land reform programmes in history returned the land from the Ethiopian aristocracy to the people who tilled it. Overseeing this land reform was an inspiring but humble figure, Zegeye Asfaw, Oromo and Ethiopian. In this 2012 interview Zegeye tells the story of his life, of the struggle for land reform, and of the personal cost of that struggle for himself and others. The interview informs our understanding of current issues, and provides a very accessible introduction to recent Ethiopian history. "It tackles the tensions between the North and South of Ethiopia; it throws light on the student movements that shaped the politics of the last fifty years; and it provides insights from inside the governments of three very different regimes. Most of all, it is a story of the land itself."