Mnangagwa reverses latest land grab

A white commercial farmer, who was evicted from his farm in Manicaland province, is set to return and resume production after the decision was reversed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa's new administration. Heavily armed Zimbabwean riot police besieged Robert Smart's farm outside Rusape town in June and forcefully evicted him from his farm. New Zimbabwe notes that the tobacco and maize grower was evicted to transfer the property to top cleric, Trevor Manhanga, who had links with ex-President Robert Mugabe. However, government spokesperson Chris Mutswangwa said 'these farmers are Zimbabweans and they belong to Manicaland province'. Legalbrief reports that Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said 'Zimbabwe is open for business'. He was speaking after he signed a $153m Chinese loan to upgrade the country's largest airport which was recently renamed after Mugabe.

Mugabe has been leasing out some of his family’s farm land to white businessmen – even though he banned others for doing that while he was in office. As recently as October, Mugabe said black owners who invited whites back to rent and work seized fields would lose their farms. However, the Zimbabwe Independent reports that he leased out part of Mazowe Citrus Estate to a company in which some of the main shareholders were white. A large portion of the farm was seized several years ago. CFI Holdings shareholder Hamish Rudland said Mugabe had approached the company through intermediaries. In terms of the arrangement, Mugabe was to get 5% of the turnover.