however, and in some ways increased as Mugabe's rule became increasingly autocratic into the 21st century. In the early 1990s, a Land Acquisition Act was passed, calling for the Mugabe government to purchase mostly white-owned commercial farming land for redistribution to native Africans. Matabeleland has rich central plains, watered by tributaries of the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers, allowing it to sustain cattle and consistently produce large amounts of cotton and maize. But land grabbing, squatting, and repossessions of large commercial farms under Mugabe's program resulted in a 90% loss in productivity in large-scale farming, ever higher unemployment, and hyperinflation. See also ZAPU Kalanga Gwanda Matopos Hwange Victoria Falls Bulawayo Joshua Nkomo Ntumbane Matabeleland football team References External links Beneath the Zanu PF, MDC feud – notes for Mbeki Newzimbabwe.com(George Mkhwananzi) The History of the Ndebele people {Zimbabwe} "Free State of Matabeleland" British South Africa Company Former British colonies and protectorates in Africa Former countries in Africa Former monarchies of Africa Geography of Zimbabwe Regions of Africa Rhodesia Subdivisions of Zimbabwe