The government is engaging international financial institutions in a move meant to mobilise resources to compensate displaced white farmers. In his 2019 national budget, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube said that the government has set aside $53 million for that purpose. He said
Whilst work on the extent of government’s obligations is still to be finalised, the resources required to compensate and put closure to this important issue is obviously beyond the capacity of the budget to finance.
The figure is considered too paltry since some estimates put the required amount at $9 billion. The Minister of Agriculture Perrance Shiri said that those who benefitted from the land resettlement programme should be the ones who compensate the white farmers. He had this to say
It makes common sense that instead of labouring the taxpayer, the person who is directly benefiting from those improvements contributes towards the compensation of the former farmers.
Back to top