Farmers contest land acquisitions

White farmers in Zimbabwe began meeting on Monday to discuss their options as a government deadline for the compulsory acquisition of more than 800 farms expired, the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) said in a statement.

Under constitutional changes made during the run-up to the country’s parliamentary elections last month, the government has the right to seize the land without paying compensation. A CFU spokesman said many farmers were pinning their hopes on appeals lodged prior to Sunday’s deadline.

In an issue which became a central theme of the elections, the government has said it did not expect the appeals to be upheld. Although more than 1,400 farms were occupied by independence war veterans and ruling ZANU-PF party supporters, the acquisition list is for only 804 farms, some of whose owners were given notice three years ago.

The CFU said on Monday that more than 200 white-owned farms would be offered for immediate sale to the government. “Farmers are not just objecting. They are also putting something on the table,” said a CFU spokesman. “The union is meeting to finalise the offer of over 200 farms to the government for immediate acquisition and resettlement.”