Payments to displaced farmers ‘ongoing’

In an effort to repair international relations and revive the economy, Zimbabwe has disbursed tax-free Treasury bonds worth $521m to displaced white former commercial farmers kicked off their land in the early 2000s. The government also made cash payments amounting to $12.6m. News24 reports that section 295 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution requires the state to compensate former farmers for infrastructure and land improvements created before the chaotic land reform of that time. The government and the farmers signed the Global Compensation Deed, a $3.5bn agreement in July 2020 to compensate for infrastructure and improvements made on acquired land, not for the land itself. So far, 623 of the about 4 000 displaced white commercial farmers have been paid. Addressing the National Assembly, Finance, Economic Development & Investment Promotion Deputy Minister Kudakwashe Mnangagwa, said the payments were ongoing: ‘Treasury bonds for the third batch are yet to be issued and will be processed in due course and in line with the agreed compensation framework.’

Full News24 report