KEY POINTS
- Zimbabwe announces compensation plan for displaced farmers.
- Farmers express skepticism over bond-based payments.
- Government aims to improve relations with Western nations.
Some Zimbabwean commercial farmers who were uprooted more than two decades ago are dubious of the government’s recent offer to pay them back.
The compensation package outlined by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube is deemed inadequate by the farmers whose land was confiscated under the administration of Robert Mugabe. Ncube disclosed that 94 foreign investors whose farms were seized would receive $20 million, while white Zimbabwean farmers would receive an additional $3.5 billion.
The government made it clear that the compensation plan will last for several years. Graham Rae, a former farmer who currently resides in Zambia, expressed skepticism about the government’s capacity to carry out its mandate.
Rae criticized the payment method, which will be in the form of government bonds, saying they have little value and advised farmers to hold onto their title deeds.
Concerns over compensation value
Paul Zakariya, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU), emphasized that the availability of cash is still a crucial matter.
He pleaded with the administration to make sure that compensation is a reality rather than merely a pledge. Zakariya also asked what measures are being taken to fulfill the promises made in the global compensation agreement inked four years ago and the 2013 constitution.
Ben Freeth, a displaced farmer, expressed similar worries, pointing out that earlier assurances have not come to pass. Freeth pointed out that it would probably be useless to offer compensation in bonds and implied that very few people would take such payments. He voiced skepticism on the government’s ability and willingness to make the promised payments.
Debate over the rationale
Not everyone agrees with the compensation plan. Kudzai Mutisi, a pro-government commentator, criticized the decision to compensate the former farmers, arguing that they profited from the land during colonial rule.
According to New Zimbabwe, Mutisi stated that there is no justification for compensating individuals who acquired the land through colonization. He described the plan as irrational and called for its immediate halt.
However, the Zimbabwean government has maintained that the compensation plan is crucial for improving relations with Western nations, which imposed sanctions on the country in part due to the land confiscations. The government believes that fulfilling these compensation promises could help in lifting those sanctions.
