Resolving the Past: Zimbabwe Compensates Foreign and Local Farmers for Land Grabs

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Image Credit: Pexels/ Flambo

Under new leadership, the government of Zimbabwe is offering land compensation to farmers. Six years after taking over from Robert Mugabe, the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa is resolving the past. The country recently set up a budget to cater to local and foreign farmers. Report has it that these farmers will first be paid $20 million.

Zimbabwe Compensates Farmers for Land Seizures: What It Means for Agriculture

Back in 2000, some farmers including local and foreign ones lost their lands. At the time, Robert Mugabe, the country’s longest-serving president was in power. He confiscated the region’s arable lands. Sources confirmed that most of these lands belonged to white commercial farmers who had naturalized in the country. But the seizure of lands wasn’t peculiar to a demographic. The foreigners and natives all suffered the same fate.

According to Reuters, the finance minister, Mthuli Ncube, announced that a new budget has been put in place to favor the country’s agricultural heritage. There was once a time when agriculture contributed largely to the country’s growth. With the revival, many can return to farming and producing for the country. Those on the government’s list include farmers from European countries like Belgium and Germany. While about 400 black Zimbabweans would be compensated for their lands.

It has been a long time coming. Back in 2020, the country announced a whopping $3.5 billion in relief funds for 4000 white farmers. However, this was never achieved owing to the country’s economic crisis.

Under President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is looking to restore farmers to their glory days. But this would not be possible without the help of foreign aides. So far, the man in power is fostering foreign relations with the Western government. At the same time, he is seeking to eradicate Zimbabwe’s debts. Amid the goodwill of the people, many will disagree that the sitting president did not project a fair election.

Last year Mnangagwa who came into power in 2017 following a coup was accused of manipulating the results. Many citizens believed that their choice wasn’t represented. The best thing for the country will be to revive its agricultural power since it has been denied financing by external donors. Hopefully, the land compensation will boost the county’s economic power on a global scale.

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