$53 Million Compensation for Former Commercial farmers

Belinda Chaora

100 WHITE former commercial farmers were paid US$53 million by the Zimbabwe Government. The first group of 93 farmers received compensation in April this year.

This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa at a recent news conference in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

At the turn of the millennium, the Zimbabwe Government compulsorily acquired land from commercial farmers to “correct colonial land imbalances”.

Questions about the compensation of these farmers has always been a bone of contention between Harare and former colonial power Britain. The Zimbabwe Government insisted that Britain should honour the Lancaster house agreement and pay the farmers directly.

In his 2020 national budget, Zimbabwe’s Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube promised that he would make funds available for improvements made on repossessed land.

He said that US$380 million would be budgeted for the purpose. The Commercial Farmer’s Union (CFU) has indicated that between US$6 billion and US$10 billion is required to pay off all the affected farmers.

Compensation of the farmers is being phased to cater for those who are most vulnerable first.