A storm is brewing over Zimbabwe’s controversial land reform compensation deal, with a group of displaced former white farmers boldly rejecting the government’s latest payout scheme.
The farmers label the proposal a “high-risk gamble with little reward” as they grapple with the fallout of the chaotic land seizures that took place in the early 2000s.
More than two decades after the tumultuous events that saw the violent expropriation of white-owned farms, these former landowners are voicing their frustrations over what they perceive to be inadequate compensation offerings.
Under the Global Compensation Deed (GCD), signed in 2020, the government pledged a compensation package totaling $3.5 billion. However, many farmers argue they are receiving just a fraction of that promise.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube recently announced that the Zimbabwean Treasury has processed $308 million in bond instruments and cash to the former farmers, a claim confirmed by the former leader of the ex-Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU), Andrew Pascoe.
Yet the announcement has done little to placate the displaced farmers, who feel that the payouts are not only insufficient but also not reflective of the critical loss they suffered.
