via ‘Govt can exempt strategic farms from acquisition’ | The Herald March 28, 2015
Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said Government has a right to acquire land for resettlement, but can exempt farms engaged in operations considered strategic to national development. Dr Mombeshora said no land was immune to acquisition although special considerations could be given to strategic activities like dairy and seed producing farms.
This came in the wake of reports that the Midlands Land Committee had resolved to spare 30 white commercial farmers from eviction because they were contributing significantly to the province. There are reports that 16 dairy white farmers and 14 others in cattle ranching were spared from eviction.
“There is no law for white farmers. There is nothing special about white farmers. The policy does not deal with whether the farmer is white or black, but the activities being undertaken on the farm.
“Indigenous farmers may be spared from land acquisition for the purpose of empowerment. We want to spare dairy (farmers) and seed producers, especially tobacco seed producers because we want these commodities. A farmer’s stay (whether black or white) may depend on the community in the province.
“We have special conditions that allow such farmers to remain on farms. But if the farmer does not co-exist with others, we will take the farm,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora said after the land acquisition, indigenous farmers would be compensated for their land and developments, while colonial farmers would be compensated only for improvements on the farm.
“We can also take farms under the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and compensate fully for the land and improvements,” he said.
Vice President and Justice, Legal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa recently said farm allocations were the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement through the National Land Committee.
COMMENTS
‘There is no law for white farmers’ says the minister.
But then later he says black farmers will be compensated for land and improvements and whites for improvements only. Oh, only one law then ?????????????
All Zimbabwean farmers should be able to farm and be covered by the laws irrespective.
Govt. can do exactly as it pleases – so it seems.
Why did we bother to write a constitution at all?
What a load of BS, “Colonial farmers” ? Most white farmers bought their farms after 1980 with “certificate of no interest” issued by the Government. Zanupf will continue to steal private property if it benefits politically or for self enrichment.
All productive farming should have been considered ‘strategic to National development when people are starving! But zanu wanted to punish the farmers because MDC was formed and they lost the referendum. Now we import sadza from ex white farmers in Zambia.
Define “strategic”. Right now ANY farm that is growing food is strategic. Er, by the way, when can the white displaced farmers get the compensation for their improvements? Also, we all know that zimbabwe has become a country with the catch phrase of “I want it… you have it….I’ll take it.
Grabmore and Doris took the words right out my mouth. The government knows’strategic’ only when it warms their selfish arses. What use is empowerment if it does not strategically protect and boost the economy to safeguard the livelihoods of the people? When is willful poverty acceptable in the strategic mix? I bet the spared white farmers are now in a good relative position to buy their way out of acquisition now that the government is broke. Couldn’t the new black farmers take over dairy and seed production? Why? These buffoons give black people a bad name.