In Zimbabwe, the government has put forth a compensation scheme for white farmers who lost their land during the land reform initiatives of the early 2000s. This development was shared by Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube. A revised compensation plan, which has been reportedly accepted by over 1,300 former white commercial farmers, involves the issuance of government bonds as a form of compensation. This move has sparked criticism, with Saai chairperson Dr. Theo de Jager labelling the announcement as propaganda and expressing dissatisfaction with the compensation method.
Dr. De Jager, representing a significant portion of the affected farmers through Saai, the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, and the Southern African Commercial Farmers Alliance, questioned the authenticity of the acceptance figures provided by the government, noting that many farmers have consistently rejected the offer of government bonds. The updated agreement aims to compensate for improvements made on the lands during the tenure of the farmers. Initially, an agreement known as the Global Compensation Deed was reached, proposing payments totalling R62,42 billion to be disbursed in parts over five years.
Furthermore, the Zimbabwean government has commenced a verification process for farms protected under Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs) ratified before the reform. Ncube highlighted that compensating these former landowners is integral to Zimbabwe's debt clearance strategy, a stance supported by the African Development Bank.
Source: farmersweekly.co.za