Twenty-five years after Zimbabwe’s chaotic land reform programme forcibly displaced white commercial farmers and drew global condemnation, a small group of these former landowners has accepted a controversial compensation deal from the government, signaling a possible turning point in the nation’s efforts to reconcile its colonial past with economic recovery.
The deal, part of a broader $3.5 billion compensation framework initiated under the administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, offers restitution for infrastructure and improvements made to seized farms but not for the land itself, which the government maintains rightfully belongs to Zimbabwe’s indigenous people. The farmers have so far received only 1% of the total amount, about $3.1 million in cash, with the remainder issued in US dollar-denominated treasury bonds maturing in 10 years, at a modest 2% biannual interest rate.
For Arthur Baisley, a 71-year-old former farmer still recovering from back surgery, the decision to accept the deal was one of necessity. “It’s not the best deal, but it’s reasonably fair,” Baisley said. “Life goes on. You have to move on.” With mounting medical expenses and ageing parents to care for, he plans to sell some of his bonds to meet urgent needs.
However, not all white farmers share Baisley’s sentiment. Deon Theron, who leads a group of more than 1,000 farmers rejecting the deal, remains staunchly opposed. “There is no guarantee those bonds will be honoured in 10 years,” Theron told the BBC. He insists that compensation should be paid in full upfront, and has called on the UK government, historically tied to the colonial era to step in and facilitate a fairer resolution. “The British can’t just sit on the sidelines. They were part of this history,” he said.
The UK was originally expected to support Zimbabwe’s land reform financially under the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement, but withdrew support in the late 1990s following a political rift. Mugabe’s land reform, launched in 2000 amid mounting opposition, saw the violent seizure of more than 4,000 white-owned farms, half of the nation’s most fertile land by war veterans and government supporters. The goal was to correct colonial-era injustices, but the policy led to international sanctions, economic collapse, and food shortages.
President Mnangagwa’s compensation initiative is not without controversy at home. A faction of the war veterans who once spearheaded the land seizures is suing the government, calling the $3.5 billion settlement excessive in light of Zimbabwe’s struggling economy. “People are suffering. Hospitals are empty. Why are we paying billions?” asked Godfrey Gurira, a vocal critic of the deal.
The government’s move to allow new black farmers to purchase title deeds to the redistributed land, at prices between $100 and $500 per hectare has also sparked legal disputes. Originally granted 99-year leases, many farmers were unable to use the land as collateral for loans, limiting productivity. The new policy is intended to formalize ownership, raise compensation funds, and boost access to financing, but some critics argue it amounts to making black farmers “buy back” their ancestral land.
Despite these tensions, Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is showing signs of renewal. The 2024–2025 season recorded the country’s highest-ever tobacco production, with more than 300,000 tonnes sold. Much of the rebound is attributed to younger, better-trained black farmers who have leveraged international investment particularly from China and embraced technology.
One such success story is the Ganye family. In 2002, Solomon Ganye received 20 hectares from a redistributed white-owned estate. Two decades later, his sons both agricultural science graduates, have transformed the family’s holdings into a thriving agribusiness employing 200 people. “We’re doing more than what the white guys were doing in terms of quality of tobacco,” said 25-year-old Aaron Ganye. “We’ve taken farming to another level.”
Aaron supports the compensation scheme but believes new farmers should contribute only based on the infrastructure they inherited. “We wouldn’t be here without the land reform,” he said. “But the future now depends on how we work together.”
Politically, Zimbabwe is inching toward re-engagement with the West. The UK recently lifted its final sanctions against Zimbabwean individuals, a symbolic gesture suggesting that diplomatic relations may be thawing. The Mnangagwa administration hopes that resolving the compensation issue will pave the way for debt restructuring talks with global creditors.
Still, the path forward requires compromise. White farmers, black beneficiaries, war veterans, and the international community must find common ground to put the legacy of land reform behind them. Only then can Zimbabwe fully heal and harness the potential of its land to power a sustainable economic future.
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