$10bn compensation to white farmers

Government of Zimbabwe is working on setting up a $10 billion compensation fund to settle disputes and bring closure to the fast-track land reform exercise. On Wednesday, MDC-T legislator Eddie Cross told the visiting IMF head of Delegation Domenico Fanizza that government was working on a commercial farm compensation fund. He said the comprehensive document was given to legislators on March 1. The document was inserted in legislators’ pigeonholes at Parliament. In an interview on Friday, Cross said legislators were given the document and that the compensation included land, improvements, immovable assets, cattle and tractors.

“The purpose of the fund is to provide resources for the payment of compensation to former farm owners whose farms were acquired by the state under the land reform programme and to enhance productivity on allocated land. The fund shall be administered by the secretary responsible for land and rural resettlement.” he said.

Lands and Rural Resettlement minister Douglas Mombeshora, however, said he was not aware of the document as he was not responsible for compensation, which falls under the purview of Treasury.

(Resource of picture: http://sztqb.sznews.com/html/2009-06/14/content_660372.htm)