#Throwback_Thursday: 5th Parliament opens its new session

In Zimbabwe, on 20 July 2000, Parliament opened its new session and sat opposition members for the first time in a decade. President Robert Mugabe opened the new Zimbabwean parliament with a pledge to speed up land reform, amid rowdy scenes outside the building.

Addressing MPs, Mr Mugabe repeated the government’s intention of pressing ahead with plans to redistribute land to landless Zimbabweans, in spite of opposition from white farmers, many of whose lands had been seized.

He also announced a plan to pull Zimbabwe out of its worst economic crisis since independence.

Despite attempts by armed riot police to keep back spectators and stop protests, backers of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change almost drowned out a military band with jeers as Mr Mugabe entered the parliament.

“The land resettlement programme is being accelerated and it is envisaged that at least 5 million hectares of land will be acquired and developed for resettlement,” Mr Mugabe told the assembled MPs.

“This should result in increased agricultural production and promotion of economic indigenisation,” he said.

 The youngest MP, 24-year-old Tafadzwa Musekiwa, was part of a new wave of young opposition MPs who entered parliament.