It’s great to pay compensation to former white farmers but they too should compensate their former workers whom they treated like slaves

Zimbabwe opposition legislator Darlington Chigumbu says while it is good that the country is honouring its commitments by compensating former white farmers whose land was covered by the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BiPPAs), it should not be blind to the fact that these farmers treated their workers like slaves.

The Budiriro legislator said it was his wish that as the farmers were compensated, they should pay their former workers because they were not paid fairly when they worked on their lands.

“I understand most of these people are no longer alive but is it not also prudent Mr. Speaker Sir, to say that they can give back to the communities where their farms are located so that they can also pay something?” he said.
“The reason would be because they are now benefiting from something they did not pay for inasmuch as we are talking about the developments that were done on the pieces of land that they are now being paid for.”

The Speaker said Chigumbu should raise the issue with the relevant minister during question time.

Full contribution:

HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My point of national interest, Mr. Speaker, concerns the payments that are being made to the BIPPA farmers by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. It is a good thing that our country is honouring its commitments. I would want to bring to the attention of this House that we need to be cognisant of the fact that there are some historical injustices that happened as these people acquired the land. It is a good thing that the Ministry is saying they are paying these people for the developments that were made on the land that was 

repossessed around 2000. However, they should also not be blind to the fact that the developments that these people are now being paid for,actually came as a result of labour practises that were near to slavery and our grandfathers are no longer there to be part and parcel or to also claim with these farmers to say they also contributed to the development of 

that particular piece of land as well as not being treated fairly. It is also sad that this whole arrangement seems not to be taking into consideration these people who participated in the development of these particular pieces of land.

Secondly Mr. Speaker, there were also farmers who were affected who were working on these farms and due to the way the land reform programme took place, they were displaced and this whole arrangement is silent on how these people are going to be compensated.

 The third aspect is that when the land was re-distributed, the big guys are the ones who took parts of the farmland which was properly developed and l can tell that they are not part and parcel of this whole arrangement. My prayer is that, can this arrangement include a model whereby these people who are going to receive the payments of the  developments that they have done on these pieces of land also pay the people who worked on these pieces of land, which they were not paid fairly during the time they were working on these pieces of land?

I understand most of these people are no longer alive but is it not also prudent Mr. Speaker Sir, to say that they can give back to the communities where their farms are located so that they can also pay something? The reason would be because they are now benefiting from something they did not pay for inasmuch as we are talking about the developments that were done on the pieces of land that they are now being paid for.

My prayer is, can the arrangement include a model whereby these people who are going to receive this payment also pay something for what they did not pay for during the time when land was being developed? As I sit down Mr. Speaker Sir, I just want to let you know that this point of national interest is coming from a mind of a patriot and from a heart of a Pan-Africanist. I thank you

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