I spent the better part of yesterday at the International Trade Commission of South Africa (ITAC) where I moonlight as a Commissioner focusing on trade matters. In the midst of all that, I missed some interesting news on Zimbabwe’s land reform story.
Reuters, an international news organisation, ran an article titled — Zimbabwe to start paying white farmers compensation after April. This article essentially says that Zimbabwean government has set aside US$17.5 million in this year’s budget to make initial compensation to white farmers who lost land under former president Robert Mugabe’s land reform approach in the early 2000s.
But the payments won’t be for all farmers at this stage, it will be targeted to those in financial distress, while full compensation will be paid later. You can access the full article here.
From my end – anything that is reconciliatory is a step in the right direction to rebuilding the country. But I won’t dwell much on the Zimbabwean land reform story. I have briefly reflected on the approach the country took in a Compendium of essays on Land Reform in South Africa, co-authored by Professor Johann Kirsten of Stellenbosch University. You can access the full collection here.
Follow me on Twitter (@WandileSihlobo). E-mail: wandile@agbiz.co.za
