Zimbabwe to Begin Compensation for Farmers Affected by Early 2000s Land Invasions 

The Zimbabwean government is set to begin distributing $20 million in compensation to local black and foreign white farmers whose land was seized during the controversial land reform programme in the early 2000s. 

This initial payout marks the first step in reconciling losses incurred during the farm invasions under former President Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister confirmed that the compensation is part of the government’s broader efforts to revive the country’s struggling agricultural sector and heal the wounds of the past. 

The land reform program, aimed at redistributing land from white farmers to black Zimbabweans, resulted in a sharp decline in agricultural productivity and economic turmoil.

The $20 million compensation will be distributed to a group of foreign white farmers and 400 black Zimbabweans. This amount is separate from a $3.5 billion settlement reached in 2020 for thousands of white Zimbabwean farmers. However, financial difficulties have delayed the larger settlement.

Zimbabwe, with an external debt of $12 billion, owes significant payments to international institutions such as the World Bank and other creditors. The government hopes that compensating farmers will help improve its international standing and contribute to the agricultural sector’s revival.

Source: Africanews