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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe: UK must compensate farmers

Mugabe: UK must compensate farmers
by
09/07/2009 00:00:00

ZIMBABWE'S President Robert Mugabe said Thursday some white farmers would be spared under his controversial land reforms and urged Britain to compensate owners of property seized for redistribution.

"It's not every white farm which will be taken. Not necessarily," Mugabe said in reply to the leader of the predominantly white Commercial Farmers Union at a conference to lure investors.

"The responsibility of compensation rests on the shoulders of the British government and its allies," he said.

"We pay compensation for developments and improvements. That's our obligation and we have honoured that. Above all Zimbabwe upholds the sanctity of property rights.

"Sure there must be some compensation. Let's join hands and appeal to the British."

Britain's ambassador to Zimbabwe Andrew Pocock last week said the former colonial power has no legal or moral obligation to compensate white farmers for land seized by the Zimbabwe government.

Evicted white commercial farmers’ “requirement for compensation from the Zimbabwean government is probably the right legal process,” said Pocock, but “whether it has any practical impact is another matter.”

Winding down his three-year posting to Zimbabwe dominated by allegations of meddlesome diplomacy by Mugabe’s government, Pocock said: “In the fairly recent past, the Zimbabwean government has said that compensation rests with the United Kingdom. Well it does not – either legally or morally.

"In Lancaster House, sovereignty was transferred to the Zimbabwean government. The disruption on the farms was not caused by anything to do with the United Kingdom, it was driven by Zimbabwean government policy … therefore we have no legal obligation for compensation. We’ve never accepted that, and we won’t.”



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The land reforms launched in 2000 aimed to resettle blacks on 4,000 white-owned commercial farms, but the process was marred by politically charged violence.

The scheme has drastically reduced agricultural production, which once accounted for 40% of the economy, as most of its beneficiaries lacked both farming equipment and expertise.

Mugabe's statements came as the CFU reported fresh invasions of white-owned farms.

He accused the farmers of taking sides with the British, whose relations with Zimbabwe were strained over the land reforms launched ostensibly to redress historical land imbalances.

"The farmers have let themselves down," he said. "They have tended to side with the British."

Mugabe said conditions in Zimbabwe favoured investment following the formation of a coalition government with his opposition rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.

"The formation of the inclusive government has strengthened our stable political environment making us more conducive to investment promotion," he said.

The international investment conference aimed at attracting local and foreign investment will end Friday. - AFP

Labels: LAND REFORM, MUGABE, WHITE FARMERS

posted by MrK @ 3:54 PM