Christine Lethokuhle Mabhena
The setting aside of RTGS$53 million by Government for the interim advance payments of compensation for farm improvements by the former white farm owners is a commendable development as this will bring finality to the land reform exercise undertaken by the country in early 2000.
This is a huge step by Government in acknowledging that the compensation owed to the former white farmers affected by the inevitable land reform programme is necessary following many years of inaction on the compensation front. Currently, some of the potential beneficiaries are now in financial distress as they are too old and are no longer able to fend for themselves.
This masterstroke move by Government also addresses the much talked about ‘reforms’ demanded by the United States as one of the conditions for the removal of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country. It also goes a long way in boosting the re-engagement efforts ushered in by the new dispensation under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.
The above argument was further buttressed by the Information deputy minister, Mr Energy Mutodi, who opined that the move was to win the investors’ confidence.
Speaking to one of the local daily papers, Mr Mutodi said, “The compensation for the former white farmers is necessary to instil investor confidence. We are implementing a number of reforms that ensure that we create a clear break from the past and lay a firm foundation for investment.”
What needs to be clarified to the citizens, the likes of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters leader, Julius Sello Malema and the world is that Government is only compensating for farm improvements undertaken by the former white farmers and not for the actual land itself as it rightfully belongs to Zimbabweans.
The improvements include farm houses, irrigation systems, barns, boreholes, schools, among others.
This will put to rest the failure by the EFF leader, Malema, to grasp Zimbabwe’s land reform policy regarding the compensation. Addressing a press conference yesterday in Johannesburg, Malema chose to jump the gun and accused President Mnangagwa of what he termed ‘selling out’, saying that ‘by offering to compensate farmers for land lost during the fast track land reform programme, (President) Mnangagwa had gone against the spirit of liberation struggle.’
It is a pity that the exuberant yet misinformed Malema missed the point, and should have sought clarifications from Harare before engaging in vitriol attacks on a fellow Southern African neighbour.
So far, regarding the compensation process, what is commendable is that the representatives for the around 500 former farmers, namely the Compensation Steering Committee (CSC), Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) and the Valuation Consortium (Valcon) have come on board and embraced the compensation process initiated by Government.
On 27 March 2019, the three bodies held a meeting in Borrowdale to pave way for the commencement of identifying and registering those affected members who want to take up the interim payment offer especially those who are in financial distress.
On the other hand, Government must also be commended for steering this process as it has begun earnestly with the Ad Hoc Compensation Working Group, comprising Government officials and representatives of former farm owners currently working towards the computation and establishing of the compensation quantum figure (estimated to be $30 billion) for the farm improvements based on the agreed method of valuation and this exercise is expected to be completed by end of May 2019.
Going forward, after registering significant progress on the exercise, Government will find leverage to call for the removal of the heinous sanctions that have sabotaged the country’s economic revival efforts.
