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Africa’s record election year

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426934" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People queue to cast their vote in a general election at Kuwadzana school in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 23, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Aug 23 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday with many citizens desperate for change after two decades of relentless economic chaos but sceptical that the ruling ZANU-PF party will allow a credible election or any loosening of its stranglehold on power.



President Emmerson Mnangagwa is seeking re-election after a first term during which runaway inflation, currency shortages and sky-high unemployment made life a misery for Zimbabweans, many of whom rely on U.S. dollar remittances from relatives abroad to make ends meet.



The cash-strapped country&#8217;s chances of resolving a debt crisis that prevents it from accessing World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans are at stake, as foreign lenders have said a free and fair election is a pre-condition for any meaningful talks on the issue.



Mnangagwa, who took over when longtime strongman Robert Mugabe was toppled in a 2017 military coup, faces 10 other candidates including his main challenger, lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).



It is the second contest between the two after Mnangagwa won a closely contested poll in 2018, which the opposition alleged was rigged. The country&#8217;s constitutional court upheld Mnangagwa&#8217;s election.



Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and were due to close at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). Some 6.6 million people are registered to vote in the nation of about 15 million.



At Sherwood Primary School in the city of Kwekwe, where Mnangagwa is registered to vote and will cast his ballot later, dozens of voters lined up from 6 a.m. and chatted in hushed tones waiting for voting to start.



Communal farmer Beatrice Sibanda, 65, said: &#8220;I want a better life for my children. They need jobs. I hope that after voting life will become better.&#8221;



In the capital Harare, in the Kuwadzana constituency where Chamisa will vote, people also said they were hungry for change.



&#8220;We are struggling and hungry. I have five grand-children that I am taking care of. I&#8217;m fortunate that I own a house and can shelter them as their fathers don&#8217;t work,&#8221; said Mabel Fambi, a 67-year-old grandmother.



Vote-counting will start as soon as polling stations close, and parliamentary results are expected to trickle in over the course of Thursday morning. The presidential result is expected to come later, though well ahead of a five-day deadline.



LITTLE CHANGE SINCE MUGABE ERA



Political analysts say Zimbabwe&#8217;s unending economic maelstrom could tip the contest in favour of the opposition if the election is clean.



The local currency has weakened by about 85% since the start of the year and inflation has reached triple digit levels, pushing people further into poverty in a country where only 30% hold formal jobs.



But analysts say ZANU-PF, which has been in power for more than four decades, has an unfair advantage as it wields control over the police and other key institutions.



&#8220;The electoral playing field is heavily skewed in favour of the ruling party, which has used state institutions to close the democratic space,&#8221; said Africa Risk Consulting, a private firm, in a pre-election note.



&#8220;Five years into Mnangagwa&#8217;s rule, conditions have not changed much from the Mugabe era,&#8221; it said.



ZANU-PF and the police deny seeking to influence the outcome.



&#8220;I have told the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that what happened in 2018 cannot be repeated. We will not accept a rigged vote,&#8221; Chamisa said at his last campaign rally on Monday.



Mnangagwa has repeatedly called for peace and tolerance in his campaign speeches.



&#8220;We will deal with those who want to perpetrate violence,&#8221; he told supporters on Saturday in Shurugwi, more than 300 km (190 miles) south of Harare.



To win the presidency, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote. If there is no outright winner, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held on Oct. 2.



Parliamentary and local council candidates only need a simple majority of votes cast.



(Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, Estelle Shirbon and Giles Elgood)

People queue to cast their vote in a general election in Harare

Zimbabweans vote but hopes of ending economic freefall appear dim

May 17 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe has lifted its ban on bank lending, the central bank announced on Tuesday, more than a week after the government froze loans in a move it said was meant to stop speculation against a rapidly devaluing local currency.



The government said at the time it had started investigating unnamed speculators of taking out Zimbabwe dollar bank loans to purchase foreign currency on the black market, driving the local currency&#8217;s value lower.



&#8220;The Bank wishes to advise the public that the temporary suspension of lending services by banks has been lifted with immediate effect,&#8221; the central bank said in a statement.



It added that only organisations being probed for abusing loan facilities would not be allowed to borrow from banks.



Business groups had warned that the lending freeze would hurt commerce and worsen Zimbabwe&#8217;s economic crisis. Last week, South Africa&#8217;s Tongaat Hulett suspended pre-payments to sugar cane farmers, saying it relied on bank loans to fund the payments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2X470V&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;We said (the lending freeze) was temporary. We have lived true to our word,&#8221; government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said on Twitter.



Zimbabwe reintroduced its currency in 2019, a decade after abandoning it in favour of foreign currencies, mainly the United States dollar. Since its return, the local currency&#8217;s value has declined from around 2.5 to the U.S dollar in 2019 to 285 against the greenbank on the interbank market.



It trades much weaker, around 400 to the U.S dollar on a thriving black market.



The lending freeze did slow the Zimbabwean dollar&#8217;s slide on the black market, although it had little impact on the official rate.



Zimbabwe, which experienced 500 billion percent hyperinflation in 2008, is currently experiencing another episode of high inflation, with year-on-year inflation rising to 96.4% in April from 72.7% in March, driven by the rapid devaluation of its currency.



(Reporting by Nelson BanyaEditing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Zimbabwe_$1000_2007_Obverse

Zimbabwe lifts ban on bank lending it imposed to stop currency slide￼

By Nelson Banya



May 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South African sugar producer Tongaat Hulett Ltd&#8217;s&nbsp;TONJ.J&nbsp;Zimbabwean subsidiaries have suspended advance payments for cane deliveries after the Harare authorities told banks to stop lending, the company said on Thursday, exposing farmers to possible cashflow problems.



Tongaat Hulett&#8217;s two Zimbabwe subsidiaries, the 50.3%-controlled Hippo Valley Estates Ltd&nbsp;HIPO.ZI&nbsp;and the wholly-owned Triangle Limited operate the only sugar mills in the country, with private growers &#8211; mostly smallholder farmers &#8211; contributing about 40% of the total sugar cane milled.



Tongaat Hulett group spokesperson Virginia Horsley told Reuters that, although farmers were due full payment for their sugar cane only after the processed sugar is sold, the company has made advance payments to growers to help provide them with working capital.



&#8220;Tongaat Hulett has traditionally agreed to utilise its borrowing facilities with banks to advance payments to farmers, on a cost recovery basis,&#8221; Horsley said.



&#8220;Tongaat Hulett is only able to advance these payments if it is able to access lending facilities and following the recent monetary measures announced, farmers were notified that advances would be suspended.&#8221;



Zimbabwe&#8217;s government on Saturday ordered the suspension of all bank lending with immediate effect, saying the aim was to stop speculation against the Zimbabwean dollar, which has been rapidly devalued on a thriving black market.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2WZ0LR&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Analysts and business organisations have said the government&#8217;s lending freeze could worsen the country&#8217;s economic crisis.



On Thursday, the country&#8217;s leading dairy processor, Dairibord Holdings Ltd&nbsp;DZL.ZI, said it had cancelled a scheduled dividend payment to conserve cash.



&#8220;The changes in the financial operating environment and resultant uncertainty have significantly disrupted the credit markets,&#8221; Dairibord said in a notice posted on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange website.



&#8220;This caused the company to revise the announced dividend position supported with the need to preserve working capital for the company.&#8221;



(Reporting by Nelson Banya; editing by Barbara Lewis)

Zimbabwe tightens coronavirus lockdown in capital Harare as cases hit 203

Tongaat Hulett suspends Zimbabwe sugar cane pre-payments over lending freeze

By Rachel Savage



LONDON, May 4 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Inflation in South Africa is set to rise to 8% this year, overshooting the central bank&#8217;s target amid the global impact of the Ukraine conflict and rising U.S. interest rates, credit rating agency Moody&#8217;s forecast in a report on Wednesday.



Moody&#8217;s said inflation was set to be higher than the South African Reserve Bank&#8217;s 3-6% target range this year, before falling in 2023 and 2024, with the central bank likely to continue to tighten monetary policy after it raised interest rates in March.<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2VR4YO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



South Africa&#8217;s finances were already under strain before the COVID-19 pandemic and worsened during&nbsp;successive waves of the virus, but have improved thanks to bumper prices for the country&#8217;s&nbsp;mineral&nbsp;commodity exports. But South Africa&#8217;s finance minister warned last month that the negative impact of high energy prices could outweigh this.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2WK4WG&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Moody&#8217;s cited risks to the country&#8217;s economy from&nbsp;highly indebted&nbsp;state-owned companies&nbsp;such as power utility Eskom, a rigid labour market and high social spending.



&#8220;The electricity sector poses the greatest risks to economic growth prospects, with generation capacity already insufficient to cover the economy&#8217;s needs,&#8221; Moody&#8217;s said in the report.



Power outages implemented by state-owned Eskom have constrained economic growth in Africa&#8217;s most industrialised country for more than a decade.



Moody&#8217;s upgraded South Africa&#8217;s outlook from &#8220;negative&#8221; to &#8220;stable&#8221; in April, keeping the government&#8217;s Ba2 rating and stating high commodity prices and fiscal consolidation would help to stabilise debt at around 80% of GDP in the&nbsp;medium term.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N2VZ3E2&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Rachel Savage. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Zimbabwe govt expects 43% decline in maize harvest this year￼

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Yesterday, Zimbabwe&#8217;s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube presented the 2021 Mid Term Budget and Economic Review. The Government has signalled strong economic growth in 2021, despite the Covid-19 threats. The growth forecast for the year has been upgraded from 7.4 per cent to 7.8 per cent. Joining CNBC Africa to discuss the current economic situation in Zimbabwe is Batanai Matsika, Head of Research at Morgan &#038; Co joins CNBC Africa for more.

Zimbabwe: Business responds to Finmin Ncube’s mid-term budget review

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PPC’s headline earnings per share plunged 94 per cent for the year ended March. This is compared to the same period a year ago. The cement maker’s results took a knock due to hyper-inflation in Zimbabwe and a depreciation of the Zimbabwean dollar against the rand. PPC CEO, Roland van Wijnen joins CNBC Africa for more.

PPC reports 94% plunge in headline earnings due to COVID-19

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
African Union Member States (55) reporting COVID-19 cases (4,812,313), deaths (130,025) and recoveries (4,351,816) by region: Central (172,873 cases; 2,781 deaths; 159,001 recoveries): Burundi (4,650; 6; 4,198), Cameroon (77,982; 1,270; 72,926), CAR (7,085; 97; 6,665), Chad (4,927; 173; 4,742), Congo (11,658; 153; 10,591), DRC (31,386; 782; 27,654), Equatorial Guinea (8,476; 113; 8,146), Gabon (24,365; 150; 21,791), Sao Tome and Principe (2,344; 37; 2,288) Eastern (647,406; 12,678; 536,199): Comoros (3,949; 146; 3,719), Djibouti (11,523; 153; 11,354), Eritrea (4,022; 14; 3,812), Ethiopia (270,944; 4,139; 235,850), Kenya (170,041; 3,124; 116,018), Madagascar (41,184; 828; 40,028), Mauritius (1,356; 17; 1,181), Rwanda (26,878; 352; 25,542), Seychelles (11,145; 40; 9,936), Somalia (14,647; 768; 6,717), South Sudan (10,688; 115; 10,514), Sudan (35,289; 2,600; 27,949), Tanzania** (509; 21; 178), Uganda (45,231; 361; 43,401) Northern (1,453,109; 43,808; 1,276,107): Algeria (128,198; 3,586; 89,292), Egypt (259,540; 14,950; 190,254), Libya (184,815; 3,116; 171,279), Mauritania (19,407; 462; 18,377), Morocco (518,458; 9,135; 506,443), Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (739; 46; 691), Tunisia (341,952; 12,513; 299,771) Southern (2,066,519; 64,531; 1,933,721): Angola (33,607; 745; 27,529), Botswana (56,313; 831; 50,494), Eswatini (18,587; 672; 17,855), Lesotho (10,825; 326; 6,434), Malawi (34,323; 1,154; 32,598), Mozambique (70,697; 835; 69,232), Namibia (54,268; 807; 50,053), South Africa (1,654,551; 56,293; 1,551,520), Zambia (94,430; 1,275; 91,443), Zimbabwe (38,918; 1,593; 36,563) Western (472,406; 6,227; 446,788): Benin (8,058; 101; 7,893), Burkina Faso (13,424; 166; 13,248), Cabo Verde (30,122; 261; 28,163), Côte d&#39;Ivoire (47,195; 301; 46,591), Gambia (5,990; 178; 5,767), Ghana (93,775; 784; 91,853), Guinea (23,110; 161; 20,840), Guinea Bissau (3,760; 68; 3,511), Liberia (2,179; 86; 2,033), Mali (14,262; 516; 9,559), Niger (5,409; 192; 5,080), Nigeria (166,254; 2,071; 156,546), Senegal (41,296; 1,138; 39,932), Sierra Leone (4,140; 79; 3,128), Togo (13,432; 125; 12,644)Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Media files

Coronavirus: African Union Member States reporting COVID-19 cases as of 29 May 2021, 9 am EAT

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Zimbabwe&#8217;s economy was already in a state of recession before COVID-19, and the trend continued to 2020.The economic contraction has been a result of output losses in key sectors. The question is, which shape will Zimbabwe&#8217;s economic recovery take? Batanai Matsika, Head of Research at Morgan &#038; Co joins CNBC Africa for more.

Morgan & Co’s 2021 economic outlook for Zimbabwe

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Releasing its full year results, Pepkor reported that it has achieved huge market share gains since April. The exit from Zimbabwe was completed; and in Uganda, 13 stores will be closed. This is as expansion into East Africa is seen as no longer feasible. Pepkor CEO, Leon Lourens joins CNBC Africa for more.

Pepkor CEO talks on Africa strategy & how the business is responding to COVID-19

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe’s biggest nurses union said on Wednesday it was encouraging its members to end a pay strike which started in June and which forced major hospitals to turn away patients at a time the country is fighting the coronavirus pandemic.



Inflation is running above 800%, reviving memories of the hardships of more than a decade ago when hyperinflation wiped out savings and pensions.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emmerson_Mnangagwa_2019-01-15-748x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-375030" width="683" height="934" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emmerson_Mnangagwa_2019-01-15-748x1024.jpg 748w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emmerson_Mnangagwa_2019-01-15-219x300.jpg 219w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emmerson_Mnangagwa_2019-01-15-584x800.jpg 584w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emmerson_Mnangagwa_2019-01-15-696x953.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Emmerson_Mnangagwa_2019-01-15.jpg 790w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption>President Emerson Mnangagwa</figcaption></figure>



The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA), which has more than 16,000 members, called for the strike to force President Emmerson Mnanagwa’s government to pay U.S. dollar salaries, but authorities say they are unable to do so.



The strike by nurses and senior doctors has crippled public hospitals, with non-emergency patients turned away and some babies stillborn due to lack of adequate medical care.



ZINA president Enoch Dongo said nurses wanted to give Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who was in August appointed health minister, a chance to resolve the dispute.



“When you have a crisis sometimes you need to give people a chance to resolve it. After sometime we will review this decision,” Dongo told Reuters.



“So we are telling our members to report for work but only if they have transport money and if there is PPE in hospitals.”



Dongo said the lowest paid nurse earned 6,000 Zimbabwe dollars ($73) in salary and allowances monthly. The state statistical agency says an average family of five needs at least 15,573 Zimbabwe dollars to be not considered poor.



Chiwenga has said the government would soon table a pay offer for the health sector and stop paying medical bills for cabinet ministers and senior officials who seek treatment abroad to save on scarce foreign exchange.



Zimbabweans are growing impatient with Mnangagwa, who promised to revive the economy when he took over from Robert Mugabe after a coup in 2017. Mnangagwa says the economy is being sabotaged the opposition and some Western countries.

Zimbabwe nurses end three-month strike over pay

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe’s wildlife agency said on Wednesday it had discovered more elephant carcasses near a major game park, bringing the number of dead animals suspected to have been killed by a bacterial infection to 22, double the initial figure.



The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has already ruled out poaching and cyanide poisoning for the death of elephants in Pandamasuwe Forest in western Zimbabwe, between the largest wildlife sanctuary Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls.



Zimparks spokesman Tinashe Farawo said the latest elephant carcasses were found on Tuesday and Wednesday. Most of the animals were young, with the oldest being 18 years.



The elephants, which had their tusks intact, had died in similar circumstances to those first discovered last week.



“We suspect it is the same causes as the first group and we are also looking at taking samples to other independent laboratories so that we can broaden our investigations,” said Farawo.



He said it would be a while before a final report on the causes of the deaths is ready.



Zimparks officials say the biggest threat to Zimbabwe’s elephant herd is overpopulation and that lower rainfall this year could again leave the animals facing starvation after at least 200 died in 2019 from a lack of water and food.



Zimbabwe is home to some 80,000 elephants, around a fifth of Africa’s total, conservationists estimate. Overall numbers have declined sharply in recent years, mostly due to a combination of poaching, illegal hunting and drought.



Earlier this year neighbouring Botswana was hit with hundreds of mysterious elephant deaths. A wildlife official in Botswana said in July preliminary tests pointed to a naturally occurring toxin as a probable cause.

African_Bush_Elephant

Zimbabwe finds more elephant carcasses, death toll at 22

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe will reopen primary and secondary schools this month for students preparing to sit their final exams, six months after they were closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government said on Tuesday.



The first students to return, on Sept. 14, will be those taking Cambridge International exams. Those taking locally administered final exams will go back two weeks later.



“The ministry (of education) is working closely with other ministries and stakeholders to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff during the examinations period,” the government said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gettyimages-899231420-594x594-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-352505" width="705" height="483" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gettyimages-899231420-594x594-1.jpg 594w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gettyimages-899231420-594x594-1-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gettyimages-899231420-594x594-1-100x70.jpg 100w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gettyimages-899231420-594x594-1-218x150.jpg 218w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px" /><figcaption>Zimbabwes former army commander and newly appointed vice president General Constantino Chiwenga (L) and Zimbabwe&#8217;s president Emmerson Mnangagwa (R) sit as they attend the swearing-in ceremony in Harare, on December 28, 2017.
Zimbabwes former army commander who led a military takeover that helped end Robert Mugabe&#8217;s 37-year rule sworn in as one of the country&#8217;s two vice presidents. General Constantino Chiwenga, 61, took the oath of office in Harare, pledging to be &#8220;faithful&#8221; to Zimbabwe and to &#8220;obey, uphold and defend the constitution&#8221;.
 / AFP PHOTO / Wilfred Kajese (Photo credit should read WILFRED KAJESE/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



The education ministry had previously said it would give priority to pupils taking final exams and has hinted that other students will not return to school until 2021.



Zimbabwe has recorded about 6,500 cases of COVID-19 and 202 deaths. Despite an increase in infections in the past six weeks, most cases were mild to moderate, with a recovery rate of about 80%, the government said.



Authorities are also looking at reopening airports to support the tourism sector, the government said. The plan is to start with the resumption of domestic flights and then to restart international flights, it added, but did not give a date.

Zimbabwe to reopen schools from September 14 for students taking final exams

By Kudzai Mutisi The government of Zimbabwe issued a statement on 31 August 2020 addressing several issues pertaining to the land reform program. The statement presented the government’s position on the compensation of indigenous (black) Zimbabweans who lost their land during the land reform program and the compensation of former farm owners whose land was covered by Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Belarus-tractors-for-Zimbabwe.png" alt="" class="wp-image-379493" width="692" height="925" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Belarus-tractors-for-Zimbabwe.png 477w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Belarus-tractors-for-Zimbabwe-225x300.png 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px" /><figcaption>Tractors from Belarus arrive in Zimbabwe as part of a training programme for farmers. </figcaption></figure>



ocals and foreigners seem confused by the government’s statement particularly the issue of returning land to certain former farm owners as compensation. Many have misconstrued this as the reversal of the land reform program by President Mnangagwa’s government. The compensation of former farm owners is covered in section 295 of the constitution of Zimbabwe. There are three categories of farm owners eligible for compensation in different forms. Section 295 (1) provides that indigenous Zimbabweans who lost their land must be compensated for the land and developments thereon. Section 295 (2) stipulates that those whose land was covered by BIPPAs and BITs are entitled to compensation for the land and developments thereon. Section 295 (3) compels the government to compensate those not covered in subsection 1 and 2 for improvements on the land and nothing else.



 In line with the constitution of Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa’s government has put measures to provide compensation to all three categories of former farm owners. The recent statement provides options for the compensation of farmers under subsection 1 or 2 of section 295. In fact, these former farm owners were not included in the Global Compensation Deed signed recently. It is only these two categories of former farmer owners who have the option to get back their land or to be allocated alternative land elsewhere.



 The farmers that fall under section 295 (3) will be compensated only for improvements on their farms in accordance with the Global Compensation Deed recently signed by the government and former white farmers. These former white farmers owned more than 98 percent of the land expropriated by the government during the land reform program. They have no option of getting back that land. It is worth noting that the number of farms covered by BIPPAs and BITs are fewer than 37.



Some of the farmers in this category already received compensation for their land during the Mugabe era. According to the recent government statement, the compensation of these farmers will be governed by Statutory Instrument 62 of 2020. President Mnangagwa is not reversing the land reform program, he is simply implementing the country’s constitution. By committing to the full compensation of farmers covered by BIPPAs and BITs, the government of Zimbabwe is respecting and restoring property rights. Moreover, the new black farmers currently occupying the land covered by BIPPAs will not be left landless, they will be resettled elsewhere by the government. This is a positive move that should be applauded by locals and foreigners alike.



 The government’s statement also emphasised that illegal occupation of productive farms will not be tolerated anymore. In addition, the government will not downsize productive farms. This is a complete departure from the past where the government allowed the disruption of production on white owned farms.



 The criticism being levelled against President Mnangagwa’s government is driven by sheer ignorance of the country’s constitution and political propaganda. If anything, the recent moves by the government seek to correct the mistakes made during the land reform program and to bring sanity to the agricultural sector. There is no reversal of Zimbabwe’s land reform program. In fact, the government is effectively finalising the land reform program.

zimuuu

OPINION:There is no reversal of Zimbabwe’s land reform program

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Foreign white farmers settled in Zimbabwe whose land was seized under Robert Mugabe can apply to get it back and will be offered land elsewhere if restitution proves impractical, the government said on Monday.



Last month, Zimbabwe agreed to pay $3.5 billion in compensation to local white farmers whose land was forcibly taken by the government to resettle Black families, moving a step closer to resolving one the most divisive policies of the Robert Mugabe era.



Under Zimbabwean laws passed during a short period of opposition government but ignored by Mugabe, foreign white farmers protected by treaties between their governments and Zimbabwe should be compensated for both land and other assets.



In that regard, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Lands and Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka said in a joint statement that these farmers should apply for their land back.



That means, in some instances the government would “revoke the offer letters of resettled (Black) farmers currently occupying those pieces of land and offer them alternative land elsewhere,” the ministers said.



But removing the Black beneficiaries from the land could prove practically and politically difficult.



“Where the situation presently obtaining on the ground makes it impractical to restore land in this category to its former owners, government will offer the former farm owners alternative land elsewhere as restitution where such land is available,” the statement said.



The ministers said other white farmers whose land had been earmarked for acquisition by the government but were still on the properties, can apply to lease the land for 99 years, just like their Black counterparts.



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President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the land reform could not be reversed but paying of compensation was key to mending ties with the West.



The programme still divides public opinion in Zimbabwe, where the number of white farmers has dropped to just over 200 from 4,500 when land reforms began 20 years ago, according to the predominantly white commercial farmers union.



Opponents see the reforms as a partisan process that left the country struggling to feed itself, but its supporters say it has empowered landless Black people.

Zimbabwe says foreign white farmers can apply to get back seized land

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Western diplomats in Zimbabwe expressed deep concern on Friday over a deteriorating political and economic crisis, and said the government should stop using the COVID-19 pandemic to curtail freedoms.



Zimbabwe is suffering inflation over 800%, which has revived memories of the hyperinflation more than a decade ago during Robert Mugabe’s rule. Nurses are on strike and a series of arrests of political opponents have raised the alarm about a crackdown on dissent.



Heads of mission from the United States, Britain, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Poland said in a statement that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s initial promises of uniting the country and reforming the economy when he came to power had given hope of a break with Mugabe’s rule — then proceeded to list ways in which it seems not to have.



“The heads of mission express deep concern with the current political, economic, social and health crisis that Zimbabweans are facing today,” the diplomats said.



It is relatively rare for diplomatic missions to club together and publicly criticise their host country.



A government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mnangagwa accuses the West of sponsoring the opposition to destabilise his government.



African leaders often bristle at criticism from the West, which they say can be selective &#8211; vilifying some and keeping silent on others when it suits their strategic interests.



“COVID-19 must not be used as an excuse to restrict citizens fundamental freedoms,” the statement said.



The diplomats urged “the government to address corruption and the illicit extraction of Zimbabwe’s wealth for personal gain, which continue to undermine Zimbabwe’s development.”



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It has been two years since Mnangagwa won a disputed election. As economic conditions worsen, critics say his government is reverting to the authoritarian tactics used by his predecessor.



“The government also has a responsibility to investigate and prosecute those responsible for violating human rights,” the diplomats said.



Activists say the government is abducting, torturing and arresting critics, including a freelance journalist and opposition politician who have spent more than a month in detention over anti-government protests.



The government denies the charges.

Western diplomats express deep concern over Zimbabwe crisis

By Andrew Pascoe, President of the Commercial Farmers&#8217; Union in Zimbabwe.



President Robert Mugabe’s notorious land reforms in the early 2000s robbed thousands of Zimbabwean farmers of their land, and of their livelihoods. What was presented as an attempt to right the wrongs of colonialization, turned into a politicised, corrupt land grab. It has taken twenty years for the injustices and illegalities to have been recognised.



 On the 29th July 2020, Zimbabwe finally made the headlines for the right reasons. The government, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the white farmers, represented by the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), signed a compensation deal worth $3.5 Billion, described by President Mnangagwa as a “new beginning of the land discourse in Zimbabwe”.



 The deal has set many a tongue wagging. It is thus crucial to lay out all the facts on the table. Most importantly perhaps is the democratic nature of this agreement. The CFU conducted a referendum of its members, 60% of whom today live outside Zimbabwe. Out of 2896 votes on the day, there were 2759 ‘Yes’ votes, and only 137 ‘No’ votes. Votes have continued to trickle in since the cut off, and as of the 13th of August, 95% of the 3,191 votes were cast in favour. The agreement itself is a result of long and tough negotiations, based on the Zimbabwean constitution which provides for the payment of compensation for improvements on “compulsorily acquired agricultural lands”.



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 A database was thus created, known as the ‘Valcon Database’ which has 4,730 farms registered, representing almost 90% of all farms affected by Mugabe’s Fast Track Land Reform Program. The database calculated the value of all registered farms in order to arrive at a fair figure of compensation.



 In this case, the valuation of permanent improvements was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Zimbabwe Land Acquisition Act. As per the constitution, the land value was to be excluded, and in accordance with International Valuation Standards, the Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) method was used to establish the value of improvements was used.



 None of this was done alone. The replacement costs per unit were agreed with Government after consultations with reputable contractors, which took over a year to obtain and agree in full. The figure of $5.2 Billion was established as being the collective valuation of improvements



to the farms as a whole. Considering Zimbabwe’s economic difficulties, this figure was considered to be unaffordable, and after lengthy negotiation the government offered a figure of $3.5 Billion, which was put to farmers for their acceptance or rejection. In light of the economic climate, it was clear that the payment would not be in one lump sum.



 The key was to find a payment schedule that provided swift relief to farmers, many of whom have waited two decades for compensation, while not further increasing the country’s debt burden. The terms of the deal, a 50% down-payment within one year of signing, with the balance to be paid over the next four years, represent a fair compromise. In addition, the government has committed to paying the full sum within 12 months should the funds successfully be mobilised within that time.



 There are of course those that criticise the agreement. For some, the compensation figure and the payment schedule are not what they hoped for. For others, the very concept of an agreement based on improvements to the land, and not its value, is a non-starter.



 Yet we urge those around the world to listen to the voice of those directly affected by the issue, who almost unanimously voted in favour. We are not blind to the limitations, but we recognise that for the first time in two decades, there is a Zimbabwean government prepared to recognise our plight, to treat us with respect and dignity and to compensate us for our suffering. We have put this matter behind us, and call on others to do the same. We hope that the dialogue and willingness to compromise reflected in this agreement represents the beginning of a new era in relations between Zimbabweans of different races and backgrounds, and between Zimbabwe and the nations of the world.



 While the agreement is not perfect, as those who have lived this struggle for two decades, we resolved to move forward, and to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

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Zimbabwe lifts ban on bank lending it imposed to stop currency slide

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