GOVERNMENT has started identifying and registering white
former commercial farm owners who lost land during the country’s agrarian
reform to pave way for compensation after RTGS$53 million was set aside for the
exercise, Cabinet ministers have said.
The compensation will be for improvements that were made on
the land.
In a joint statement, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate
and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri and Finance and Economic
Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said under the new dispensation,
Government is committed to paying compensation in accordance with the country’s
Constitution and Zimbabwe’s obligations under the Bilateral Investment
Promotion and Protection Agreements.
“In this regard, the Ad Hoc Compensation Working Group,
comprising Government officials and representatives of former farm owners, is
working towards the computation and establishing the compensation quantum
figure for farm improvements based on an agreed method of valuation. Given the
significant progress made to date, it is anticipated that this comprehensive
farm improvements valuation exercise will be completed by the end of May 2019,”
said the ministers.
“The completion of the work of the Ad Hoc Compensation
Working Group will enable Government and former farm owners, in conjunction
with cooperating partners, to progress towards closure of the land issue”
They said the process to identify and register former farm
owners who want to participate in the interim advance scheme is being
coordinated by the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) and the Compensation
Steering Committee (CSC) representing former farm owners.
The Cabinet ministers said the registration process and the
list of farmers should be completed by the end of April this year.
“In the meantime, Government’s accelerated farm valuation
exercise for farm improvements is expected to be complete by end of this month.
This will pave the way for both parties to reach an agreement on the
compensation quantum figure for farm improvements by end of May 2019,”said the
Cabinet ministers.
Government said the interim advance payments will be paid
directly to former farm owners by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water,
Climate and Rural Settlement.
“Government will put in place institutional arrangements to
expedite the disbursements for these interim advance payments and consultations
on sustainable options for mobilising the requisite compensation resources are
being explored in conjunction with the International Financial Institutions and
other stakeholders,” said the ministers.
Government has since directed that all remaining white
commercial farmers be issued with 99-year leases, a marked policy shift from
the previous arrangement where they could only get five-year leases. Herald
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