Zimbabwe’s government has announced plans to initiate the process of compensating both foreign white farmers and local Black farmers who were deprived of their land during the controversial farm invasions under former President Robert Mugabe in the early 2000s.
The initial $20 million payment, to be disbursed this month, is part of the 2024 budget, which seeks to rejuvenate the country’s agricultural sector and support its anticipated economic recovery.
The land seizures under Mugabe’s administration significantly disrupted agricultural production in Zimbabwe, as most of the productive farms were owned by foreign white farmers, following a history of colonial land dispossession.
The land seizures affected not only foreign white farmers but also some Black Zimbabweans, and were often spontaneous and disorganised, benefiting individuals with ties to the ruling Zanu-PF party.
The compensation will benefit foreign farmers from countries such as Belgium and Germany, along with 400 Black Zimbabweans, as stated by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.
In 2020, a larger compensation scheme of $3.5 billion for 4,000 white Zimbabwean farmers was announced, but funding has been delayed due to the country’s ongoing financial struggles.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over after Mugabe’s ousting in 2017, is working to improve relations with Western nations to address Zimbabwe’s significant foreign debt and revive the economy. However, last year’s elections were perceived as neither free nor fair, which has hindered donor confidence.
Zimbabwe has been isolated from the global financial system for over two decades due to defaults, complicating its attempts to secure aid.
The government is pursuing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-monitored programme as a first step toward debt relief, with an IMF team scheduled to visit Harare in the coming weeks.
Ncube highlighted the need for this programme to address Zimbabwe’s substantial debt arrears, which are a significant burden on the economy.