Harare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe has announced plans to compensate local and foreign white farmers who lost land and property in the country’s controversial land reform program over two decades ago.
The compensation, which will be paid in cash and through treasury bonds, is aimed at addressing the longstanding issue of land ownership in Zimbabwe. The land reform program, initiated by former President Robert Mugabe in 2000, involved the seizure of white-owned farms to redistribute them to Black Zimbabweans. However, the process was often violent and chaotic, leading to significant economic disruption.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube revealed that the government has approved compensation for 441 local white farmers and 94 foreign claimants. While local farmers will receive a portion of their compensation in cash, foreigners will receive an initial $20 million to be shared equally among them.
The compensation will cover infrastructure such as buildings, wells, and irrigation equipment, but foreigners will also be compensated for the land itself. The payments are expected to be made in the last quarter of 2024.
The land reform program has been a contentious issue in Zimbabwe, with critics arguing that it has led to economic decline and food insecurity. However, the government has defended the program, stating that it was necessary to address the historical injustices of colonialism.
The compensation announcement comes as Zimbabwe seeks to restructure its $21 billion in debt. The government has been in talks with creditors, including the African Development Bank, to address this issue.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took power in 2017, has sought to improve relations with the white farming community. He has encouraged them to apply for new land leases and has also announced plans to allow beneficiaries of the land reform program to sell their land. However, this move has attracted criticism, as some individuals who were politically connected have acquired multiple farms through the program.
