One quarter century since Zimbabwe began its radical land reform initiative, the country continues to contend with its legacy. The question of redistributing or seizing land from white farmers has polarized the country. In 2000, then-President Robert Mugabe kicked off a contentious program. It was supposed to address the historical injustices resulting from the land grabs of the colonial era. The program changed the demographic and political landscapes of Zimbabwe in dramatic ways. Its legacy continues to inflame passions and complex feelings among the population.
Prior to the government’s land reform program, Zimbabwe had about 2,500 white commercial farmers who farmed about 4,000 farms. These farmers held sway over half of the nation’s richest farmland, producing outrage in a majority black nation. In response, the government initiated invasions of white-owned farms to repossess the land. Supporters of Mugabe hailed this as an essential step towards economic equality and justice.
The ramping up of the land reform programme has been dubbed Africa’s largest contemporary land revolution. It radically and irrevocably disrupted the previous agricultural order in Zimbabwe, with dramatic social and economic consequences. Its supporters say they have seen it empower black farmers and provide black farmers opportunities that were systemically denied to them by colonial policy. To critics, the result of the hasty and disruptive roll-out of the program was a catastrophic drop in farm output. They think that had a chilling effect on expertise development within the sector.
Godfrey Gurira, one of the program’s most notable leaders and critics. First, he called on the administration to prioritize compensation for Black farmers and other farmers of color as economic stressors keep piling up tones. He continued, “It’s just a huge, huge amount… for a country of our size. People are suffering; they can hardly make ends meet, the hospitals have nothing, then we have the luxury to pay $3.5bn. In our view, it’s a gratuitous and pointless act of appeasement.
Many other families have done very well through taking part in the land reform programme. The Ganye family Aaron Ganye’s family bought a farm after the successful reforms and have done is experiencing success on the farm ever since. Ganye painted an uplifting picture of the systemic reinvention that those reforms have introduced. He told me he was pleased, “We have really elevated the farmer, and we through farming have a much better lifestyle now.” We’re already doing better than what the white men were able to do in tobacco quality. What also makes our leaves unique is… His sentiment carries with it the pride for self-sufficiency that many black farmers share. They think they’re doing earth-shattering things compared to the past agricultural practices.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office lifted sanctions against Zimbabwe in 2021, signaling a potential thaw in international relations following years of economic isolation. The Zimbabwean government eventually settled on a $5 billion compensation package for white farmers whose land had been expropriated during the reform period. That’s a $3.5 billion package. Specifically, it provides for $3.1 million to be set aside for cash payouts to 378 qualifying farms, with the balance to be paid in US dollar-denominated treasury bonds.
Arthur Baisley, an Anglo farmer who signed the agreement on compensation in exchange for his property called it “fairly reasonable though not optimum.” To his credit, he recognized the challenges experienced by millions during that period of transition. “It was difficult for my family in the beginning but life goes on, you have to move on,” he noted.
More than 1,000 white farmers have turned down the offer of compensation outright. Deon Theron, one of those farmers, took issue with the role that outsiders had played in pushing the agenda to negotiate land ownership in Zimbabwe. He asserted, “The British can’t go and sit in the pavilion and watch what’s happening because they are part of it. They are linked with our history. They can’t walk away from it.”
While opinions on the current state of Zimbabwe’s land reform remain sharply divided, indicators suggest that Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector is bouncing back. During the last selling season alone, farmers sold more than 300,000 tons of tobacco at auction. This truly historic achievement reflects a profound rebound from this past decade’s loss and turmoil.