The Zimbabwean government’s decision to compensate white farmers for land seized during the land reform program has sparked intense controversy. In April 2025, the government disbursed $3 million to dispossessed farmers, representing 1% of the total $311 million allocated for the first batch of 378 farms. This move is part of a broader $3.5 billion agreement signed in 2020, aimed at compensating approximately 4,000 white farmers for infrastructure and improvements, excluding land value.
– Payment Breakdown: The government will pay $3.5 billion through US dollar-denominated Treasury bonds with a 10-year maturity and 2% coupon rate. Additionally, $20 million has been allocated from the national budget for direct cash payments in 2024 and 2025.
– Eligibility: Over 1,300 former commercial farmers have signed up for the compensation scheme, with 740 former farm owners approved for compensation.
However, veteran freedom fighter and opposition politician Moses Mzila Ndlovu has criticized the government’s move, calling it a “glaring injustice.” Ndlovu argues that the government is prioritizing white farmers over liberation war veterans, ignoring the unresolved grievances of former ZPRA and ZAPU members whose properties were seized without compensation. This criticism highlights the complexities and contradictions in Zimbabwe’s post-independence governance, particularly regarding land reform and compensation.
The land reform program, launched in the early 2000s, aimed to address historical land ownership imbalances but was marred by violence and corruption. The program led to a significant decline in agricultural production and economic instability. The government’s decision to compensate white farmers has sparked debate and added pressure to address long-standing issues of marginalization and restitution.
Some critics argue that the compensation scheme is flawed, and the government’s approach has been questioned. War veterans and critics have also reacted negatively to a proposed $500 per hectare land title levy on resettled farmers, which they believe could lead to them losing their land. The levy is perceived as a mechanism to fund compensation for displaced white farmers.
source-cite
end//..
