The Commercial Farmers’ Union, largely composed of white ex-farmers, says the British government should play a leading role in compensating them for losses incurred as a result of Zimbabwe’s Fast-Track Land Reform Programme.
This comes as Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Minister Chief Air Marshal (Retired) Perrance Shiri has said authorities in Harare are working around the clock behind the scenes to bring closure to the emotive chapter.
Government has pledged – and created legal provisions to back this – to compensate white ex-farmers for developments they had made on repossessed land.
Thus far, Government is conducting valuations to come up with the total bill. In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, Rtd Chief Air Marshal Shiri said: “We are doing a lot of work and there have been a lot of engagements that we have made regarding compensation of the settler farmers.
“I am sure that in the coming days and weeks, we will give a definitive position of how we will be going forward and the progress we have made.” And CFU director Mr Ben Giplin last week said Britain could not afford to ignore paying compensation to farmers in line with the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement.
“The Lancaster House Agreement seems to be short on details and that has always been an issue,” he said. “Britain cannot simply ignore any responsibility, but how they will deal with this is up to the re-engagement process (between Harare and London). We will do our best to assist in this process.
“Zimbabwe will need international assistance in the broadest possible way to ensure the country recovers from the economic difficulties it has been going through.
“This is currently the subject of high-level engagement with Government and we are hopeful that a consensus on the way forward can be achieved.”
Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Mr Boris Johnson, is on record as saying his country betrayed Zimbabwe by failing to honour the Lancaster House Agreement provisions on ex-farmer compensation. Government will pay compensation according to Section 295 of the Constitution. Sunday Mail
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