Compensation has been approved for farmers who were affected by land reform program

By Sam Mupedziswa

Finance Minister, Professor (Prof) Mthuli Ncube recently revealed that about 535 local and foreign farmers who were affected by the land reform program have been accredited for compensation.

During the land reforms initiated in 2000, approximately 4,000 white commercial farmers were evicted from the farms. The program, was spearheaded by Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe, to address the inequalities in land ownership that originated during the colonial era. As a result of these farm redistribution, frequent droughts  have posed a significant challenge in Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector. 

Local farmers will not be compensated for the actual land lost. Instead, compensation for local farmers will focus on infrastructure such as homes, irrigation systems, and other property improvements. 

In a meeting with diplomats on Wednesday, Finance Minister Prof. Mthuli Ncube confirmed that the Zimbabwean government had approved compensation claims worth $548 million. Of this amount, $351.6 million is designated for 441 local farmers, while $196.6 million is set aside for 94 foreign farmers. 

However, only a fraction of the total compensation of $3.5 million, will be paid out in cash to local claimants. The remaining sum will be distributed in the form of treasury bonds.

Foreign claimants, primarily from countries such as Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and several Eastern European nations, will receive an initial payout of $20 million, to be divided equally among them. 

The land reform evicted white farmers who controlled most of Zimbabwe’s prime farmland.