Mnangagwa defends land reform on global stage

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended Zimbabwe's controversial Land Reform Programme, saying white farmers who left the country as a result believed they were superior to "the African people of Zimbabwe."

Mnangagwa made the remarks while speaking on a panel discussing investment, governance and international relations at the ongoing World Governments Summit, where he argued that Zimbabweans felt liberated and independent after reclaiming land taken during the colonial era.

More than 4 000 mostly white commercial farmers lost their land during the government-led land reform exercise, which redistributed farms to about 150 000 black Zimbabweans. Many of the displaced farmers relocated to countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Australia.

The President said the repossession of land restored dignity and sovereignty to Zimbabweans.

"We seized the land and gave it to our people but in spite of all that constraint we have developed and we are happy that we have developed on our own and feel very independent," Mnangagwa said.

"Land did not belong to a race, it belonged to Zimbabweans, so when the colonialists took land from us, time came when we asserted ourselves to take back our land.

"Those who wanted to have land on the same basis as the African people of Zimbabwe remained, but those who felt they were superior left," he added.

The land reform programme gathered momentum in the early 2000s following the collapse of the willing-buyer, willing-seller model agreed at independence in 1980. That framework faltered due to slow implementation, inadequate funding, and the withdrawal of financial support by Britain and the United States, leading to chaotic land seizures.

Mnangagwa said the economic challenges and sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe were a direct consequence of the government's decision to repossess land.

Online sources estimate that only about 400 white farmers now remain in Zimbabwe.

In 2020, the government agreed to a US$3.5 billion compensation deal for former white farmers to cover improvements made on the land they lost. Many of the beneficiaries are now scattered across the globe.

The land reform programme was largely driven by liberation war veterans, frustrated by delays in land redistribution. The period was marked by violence, with between seven and 12 white farmers reportedly killed and hundreds others injured during farm invasions.

Despite the controversy and long-term economic impact, Mnangagwa maintains that land reform was a necessary step in correcting historical injustices and asserting Zimbabwe's sovereignty.