Zimbabwe resettled farmers to contribute towards compensation to former white farmers

HON. P. D. SIBANDA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker. My supplementary to the Hon. Minister is that, maybe we may need the rationale behind making the beneficiary of resettled land to compensate the one from whom the land would have been expropriated.  Looking at the fact that firstly, the Act of Expropriation is that of Government…

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order Hon. Member, ask your supplementary question.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is – what is the rationale of transferring the burden of compensating the farmer who would have lost land on the beneficiary when it is directly the role of Government to do so? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

HON. RTD. AIR CHIEF MARSHALL SEN. SHIRI:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. There are improvements that were done on the farms and the new farmer is utilising those improvements.  Quite a number of them now have 99 year leases and all the farmers with offer letters are looking forward to one day having 99 year leases.  It makes common sense that instead of labouring the tax payer, the person who is directly benefitting from those improvements contributes towards the compensation of the former farmer.

Let me categorically state that the compensation is not being done directly from the new farmer to the former farmer but is being done through Government.  I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order last supplementary question.

HON. GONESE:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I believe that this Government made a commitment with the coming in of the new dispensation that they were going to compensate the former farmers …

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order, strictly supplementary question … – [HON. GONESE: Yes, it is a supplementary question Mr. Speaker.] – No statement.

HON. GONESE:  Yes, in terms of that commitment, I want to find out from the Hon. Minister how far they have gone because that was a firm commitment made by the Government that on its part, it was going to compensate the former farmers?

HON. RTD. AIR CHIEF MARSHALL SEN. SHIRI:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. When Government speaks, it does that on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe.  It does not have to go into detail as to how it shall raise those resources – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Unless clarification is sought and to an extent it has to be clearly understood that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – the policy is that the new farmer pays for the improvements on the farm and the money is used to compensate the former farmer – that is the Government’s position and as the money is not enough, they probably may chip in but the new farmer has to contribute.

We also have the aspect of the leases that are paid by the farmers at the rate of three dollars ($3.00) per hectare per year.  All that money is meant to actually go towards the compensation of the former farmers.  I thank you. – [HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Point of clarity Hon. Speaker!] –

THE HON. SPEAKER:  No point of clarification, you ask on supplementary question and – [HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Inaudible interjection.] – It was done, we have already had enough supplementary questions. – [HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I asked a supplementary question Mr. Speaker and it was…] – Please sit down.  Thank you.

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