European Knight
07-13-2015, 09:08 PM
The names of six white farmers have been given to central government with requests they be granted security of tenure under new laws safeguarding farms ‘of strategic economic importance’
Zimbabwe’s government has for the first time suggested it may give official permission for some white farmers to stay on their land, 15 years after it sanctioned widespread land grabs that plummeted the country into an economic crisis.
Douglas Mombeshora, the Zanu-PF Lands Minister, said provincial leaders had been asked to draw up a list of white farmers they wanted to stay on their farms deemed to be “of strategic economic importance”.
“We have asked provinces to give us the names of white farmers they want to remain on farms so that we can give them security of tenure documents to enable them to plan their operations properly,” Mr Mombeshora said.
Beneficiaries of the land grabs that started in 2000, mostly President Robert Mugabe’s officials and allies, will in future also have to pay a small rental per acre which will be used in part to pay compensation to evicted white farmers.
More than 4,000 white farmers lost their land after Mr Mugabe lost a referendum to the new Movement for Democratic Change party and, in a bid to regain popularity, authorised land grabs by disaffected war veterans.
Today, fewer than 300 white farmers remain on portions of their original land holdings in Zimbabwe and many of the seized farms lie fallow, meaning the former Breadbasket of Africa has to import food to feed its population.
Among remaining farmers who have been recommended for a reprieve of Mr Mugabe’s edict that whites can no longer own land in Zimbabwe is Elizabeth Mitchell, a poultry farmer who produces 100,000 day-old chicks each week.
Her farm, Barquest, which lies around 160 miles south of Harare in Masvingo Province, had been allocated by the government to Walter Mzembi, the tourism minister, but he recently retreated after the provincial leadership backed her request to stay.
Zimbabwe to hand back land to some white farmers - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11737095/Zimbabwe-to-hand-back-land-to-some-white-farmers.html)
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03374/zimababwe-white-fa_3374256b.jpg
Zimbabwe’s government has for the first time suggested it may give official permission for some white farmers to stay on their land, 15 years after it sanctioned widespread land grabs that plummeted the country into an economic crisis.
Douglas Mombeshora, the Zanu-PF Lands Minister, said provincial leaders had been asked to draw up a list of white farmers they wanted to stay on their farms deemed to be “of strategic economic importance”.
“We have asked provinces to give us the names of white farmers they want to remain on farms so that we can give them security of tenure documents to enable them to plan their operations properly,” Mr Mombeshora said.
Beneficiaries of the land grabs that started in 2000, mostly President Robert Mugabe’s officials and allies, will in future also have to pay a small rental per acre which will be used in part to pay compensation to evicted white farmers.
More than 4,000 white farmers lost their land after Mr Mugabe lost a referendum to the new Movement for Democratic Change party and, in a bid to regain popularity, authorised land grabs by disaffected war veterans.
Today, fewer than 300 white farmers remain on portions of their original land holdings in Zimbabwe and many of the seized farms lie fallow, meaning the former Breadbasket of Africa has to import food to feed its population.
Among remaining farmers who have been recommended for a reprieve of Mr Mugabe’s edict that whites can no longer own land in Zimbabwe is Elizabeth Mitchell, a poultry farmer who produces 100,000 day-old chicks each week.
Her farm, Barquest, which lies around 160 miles south of Harare in Masvingo Province, had been allocated by the government to Walter Mzembi, the tourism minister, but he recently retreated after the provincial leadership backed her request to stay.
Zimbabwe to hand back land to some white farmers - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11737095/Zimbabwe-to-hand-back-land-to-some-white-farmers.html)
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03374/zimababwe-white-fa_3374256b.jpg