The government’s idea to pay US$3,5 billion compensation to white former landowners has created rifts within the ruling ZANU PF party.
This follows a US$3.5 billion Global Compensation Agreement deal signed by government with local farmers’ representative groups.
The deal, that has been welcomed by the groups, will see government legally required only to pay for infrastructure such as buildings and dams, but some sections are viewing the government’s idea as a way of reversing the gains of independence.
However, under this arrangement, the government is not forced to pay any compensation for movable assets that were left behind such as irrigation pipes, tractors and all other farming equipment.
As such, a group of disgruntled members of the war veterans have given the government a 24 hour ultimatum to reverse its idea or face a lawsuit, and they have written a letter of demand to the Lands Minister Anxious Masuka.
Part of the letter titled, ‘Demand for Suspension For Its Discriminatory’, by war veterans pressure group reads;
“Clients instruct that we demand on their behalf, we hereby do, that within 48 hours of receipt of this letter issue out a response(s) to ourselves together with a public statement admitting that the recent July 2020 compensation claim for farm improvements agreement between government and former settler white races progeny citizenry was discriminatory.”
The letter was written by Kanoti and Partners Public Interest Lawyers and proceeded;
“On the grounds of race and constituted cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment upon the indigenous black race citizens of this nation coming as the agreement did ahead of/ or for having prioritised settler white race concerns as against the local black race’s own long outstanding pre-colonial and also post–colonial sufferance under the machinations of the occupying settler white race and therefore that government is withdrawing from or suspending performance.
“Clients are shocked government acted in the manner it did and view the agreement as a sell-out understanding.
“And therefore whose implementation must of necessity for continued harmonious relationship of the black and white races be suspended pending government and former colonial interests attendance to the indigenous black race’s own pre and colonial, together with post-colonial compensation concerns which occurred well before the white occupied farm invasion of 2000.”
Lands Minister Masuka speaking on Wednesday said the government was not reversing the gains, but, simply following the rule of law.
Meanwhile, it is reported that there is a rift within the ruling party over the issue, with some against the idea, despite the fact that the current of farmers are failing to effectively utilize the land.
The land issue has been a bone of contention between Harare and some western capitals mainly London and Washington DC.
