Critics, including EFF leader Julius Malema, have castigated Mnangagwa’s decision to allow farmers to be compensated for farm improvements.
‘Sell out’
Said Malema, “It’s a sellout position. The way he is going about it, he is not going to finish his term.”
“That country (Zimbabwe) is swimming in a pool of poverty; they can’t afford basic things like primary health, proper education and infrastructure. He gets money and goes to give it to people who are not deserving. He is reversing the gains of the revolution struggle. It’s unsustainable.”
But Mnangagwa said his government was simply following the country’s constitution which provides for the compensation of improvements made on the farms and not on the land.
Section 72 of the Zimbabwe Constitution stipulates that where land is acquired for public purpose, no compensation is payable in respect of its acquisition, except for improvements effected on it before its acquisition.
The provision is contained in Zimbabwe’s new constitution which was voted for by 95% of voters in 2013.
It was crafted through a collective effort with senior opposition leaders as part of the legal leading team.
‘Government will meet its obligation’
Addressing the ruling party’s Youth Assembly in Harare, Mnangagwa said, “In agriculture, the land reform is irreversible and Section 72 of the Constitution is very clear in this regard. However, the same Constitution provides that no compensation is payable in respect of its acquisition, except for improvements effected on the land before its acquisition.
“For a long time Government has provided through the fiscus for such payments in respect of the said compensation on improvements of the land. Government will meet its obligation as outlined in the Constitution,” he said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we fought for land and there is no way we will retract our position with regards to the land reform.”
It was not everyone who benefited from the land reforms and those who benefited from getting the land and the improvements on the farms did not pay one dollar for it. Indeed the people who were given the seized farms have received many questionable subsidies because they did not make any economic sense. So for government to now be paying the compensation to the white farmers using public funds can only be seen for what it is yet another subsidy to the few who benefited from the farm seizures!
It is no secret that Zanu PF leaders and their families and friends are the main beneficiaries of the chaotic land reform!
When the white farmers were booted, literally, off the farms they were not allowed to take away even some of their movable assets such as cattle, harvested crops, plant and machinery. There was no justification for this other than greed. And now Zanu PF is forcing the ordinary people to foot the compensation bill when those who got the movable and immovable assets are there and should pay for them. The whole land seizure and now compensation exercise stinks. There is no justice in this!