British MP calls for debate on Zimbabwe

A British Member of Parliament Robert Halfon yesterday called for a debate on Zimbabwe to ensure that farmers, including his constituent Timolene Tibbett, who were deprived of their land are compensated.

Halfon cited a motion which called on the World Bank and the Zimbabwe government to respect the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes court ruling in April 2009 that granted compensation of EUR22.5 million to Zimbabwean and European farmers who were illegally and often brutally thrown off their land during the Mugabe land reform in 2000 and 2001.

The British Parliament believed that settlement of this claim would demonstrate a commitment to international law from the coalition Zimbabwe government and build confidence with international investors that arbitration ruling for investments, no matter how small or large, would be respected to create jobs and opportunities in Zimbabwe.

It cautioned the World Bank against adopting the incoherent position of progressing with a debt write-off programme with the Zimbabwe government whilst not ensuring the Zimbabwe government honoured the legal commitments arrived at via proceedings of the ICSID, which is a World Bank court.

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