ZIMBABWE COMPENSATING BRITISH COLONIALISM?

Land and Zimbabwe. Like Siamese twins, the two are often mentioned together. That's because the southern African nation of 16.7 million has had land at the centre of its politics and economy since attaining independence from Britain in 1980. Known as Southern Rhodesia (in memory of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, of "Cape to Cairo" infamy) before independence, Zimbabwe became home to many White farmers emigrating from the UK, South Africa and some European countries. Under British colonial rule, White settlers acquired huge ranches that contributed to the country's agricultural output, making Zimbabwe the region's bread basket.

Long-serving president Robert Mugabe (1924-2019) skilfully leveraged the land issue to maintain his grip on power. In the early 2000s, he initiated a radical land-repossession programme to bolster support for his ruling party. This move, however, resulted in severe sanctions from Western countries, leading to a prolonged economic crisis.

As our man Kenneth Kaigua reports, Zimbabwe must now address another land-related issue before international creditors are willing to assist in reviving its economy.

Sources:

https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/zimbabwe-to-pay-white-farmers-r6-billion-in-bonds-20241125

https://www.herald.co.zw/zim-okays-compensation-for-92-bippa-farms/#:~:text=Zimbabwe%20has%20approved%2092%20farms,being%20resolved%20through%20separate%20arrangements

https://www.semafor.com/article/11/26/2024/zimbabwe-plots-return-to-international-capital-markets

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-25/zimbabwe-to-pay-ex-farmers-331-million-in-move-to-rework-debt?srnd=undefined

https://www.ecofinagency.com/finance/2611-46181-zimbabwe-approves-331mln-compensation-for-white-farmers-to-tackle-debt-crisis

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/08/robert-mugabe-slates-tony-blair-over-zimbabwes-land-reform-programme

https://history.blog.gov.uk/2019/12/23/the-lancaster-house-agreement-forty-years-on/

https://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/zimbabwe/ZimLand0302.htm

https://www.cgdev.org/page/scorched-earth-zimbabwe-and-after-satellite-photos

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/08/robert-mugabe-slates-tony-blair-over-zimbabwes-land-reform-programme

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25845845

https://www.africanews.com/2019/04/16/zimbabwe-appeals-for-uk-support-to-compensate-white-farmers//

https://www.economicsonline.co.uk/managing_the_economy/understanding-zimbabwes-economic-collapse-causes-and-consequences.html/

https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/zimbabwes-seemingly-endless-currency-crisis/

https://www.africanews.com/2019/04/16/zimbabwe-appeals-for-uk-support-to-compensate-white-farmers//

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2024/11/25/zimbabwe-to-pay-ex-farmers-331-million-in-move-to-rework-debt/

https://apnews.com/article/zimbabwe-white-farmers-land-colonialism-mugabe-8ef1747c1f02d92487b0c47bb1be1f4d

https://taxjustice.net/2020/06/09/slavery-compensation-uk-questions/#:~:text=The%20British%20government%20borrowed%20%C2%A3,of%20the%20largest%20in%20history.