via White farmers sceptical over ‘payout’ – New Zimbabwe 12/05/2015
EVICTED white commercial farmers are not expecting any “real” compensation following an announcement from the government last week that so-called ‘new’ black farmers could start paying rent for land they were given.
Some of this rent money would go to white farmers who were dispossessed, but they say it would be too small to be taken seriously.
Lands and Rural Resettlement minister Douglas Mombeshora told the state media, last week that the cabinet had approved a rental scheme for farmers who were beneficiaries of white-owned land since 2000.
Mombeshora said that the new black commercial farmers and all those who now own wildlife conservancies would be expected to pay about R60 per hectare per year to the government for land they now occupy.
The state owns all land taken from white farmers.
Without specifying percentages, Mombeshora said some of the rentals collected would go towards paying compensation to evicted farmers.
But the Commercial Farmers’ Union said yesterday that the rentals quoted by Mombeshora must be seen as “token” payments, and would not dent any compensation bill.
‘In the last 15 years the government has made no effort to pay compensation,” said CFU director Hendrik Viljoen.
“We don’t know much about what has been decided beyond what we read in the press, but the rentals quoted to us only represent a token payment. It would be good to be able to sit down with the government and have a serious conversation about compensation.”
He also said many new farmers, especially small-scale operators, would not be able to afford to pay any rent.
More than 4000 or 90 percent of evicted white farmers paid for professional evaluation of their lost properties.
The Valuation Consortium in Harare, which is also funded by the World Bank, has developed a comprehensive database of seized farms.
The Consortium says it is independent and does not involve itself with any claims on criminal or human rights issues.
“The aim is to facilitate and accelerate the compensation process,” it says on its website.
COMMENTS
“The State owns the land taken from the white farmers”. So, show us the Title Deeds for that land.
Ah yes, those dreaded Title Deeds, a dastardly Western invention to show legal ownership. How terribly unfair to thieves! Surely those with power should be free to steal whatever they want? Isn’t that the ancient, true and traditional “Zimbabwe Way”?
Wasn’t the whole war fought to secure the inalienable “Right To Steal”?
Didn’t the British government give you money to buy out the white farmers in the 80’s but greed and the need for a Mercedes Benz was far more important, now you come with this gimmick like toll roads to enrich a few again
Where on earth is a benificiary of looted property going to find enough money to pay the government any rent. This is a joke right?
Look EU we are doing something!!Now we demand you give us cash now!!!!! and the sad thing is the EU will!!! Sad gutless leadership!!!
@joe…. I do hope that you are wrong, but in my “heart of hearts” (as Josh wrote to Bob back in the 80’s)I fear you will be right. I know some ex farmers who would use far more expressive words to explain this rubbish than “sceptical”.. wat a load of absolute rubbish!!
The bank account of the Zim Government is empty and there is virtually no money available for looting by the new Ministers. This is a new way of trying to raise money that will vanish into the pockets of Mugabe and his stealing comrades. No money will ever be paid to White farmers – even if millions in rentals will be recovered.
Will Mugabe ever pay rental for the farms he looted? And Grace and the rest of the multiple looters of farms? Not on your life. If they pay anything – they would just steal the money back.
Mugabe knew this was a lie before they even started the process.
The intention is to steal more.
LOL – It always is!
Remember the “carbon tax”?