It is now over three decades since the revolutionary Land Reform Program that took place under Late President Robert Gabriel Mugabe. However, the matter has given rise to problems for the Zimbabwean government to this day.
The views relating to this reform are in stark contract to each other. The ex-white farmers who were removed from the land they cultivated are still very bitter as they perceived the move to be very racist and unfair. On the other hand, most Zimbabwean blacks still get triggered by the fact that the government agreed to compensate the farmers for taking back what was rightfully theirs.
These views have even resulted in anger against black influential individuals who have used the term land grab to refer to the reform program. This is because the term is said to portray black Zimbabweans as evil for taking back their property. Tendai Beast Mtawarira has previously come under fire for this very matter.
No doubt, emotions have been triggered yet again. An ex-white farmer, Bernhard von Pezold and his family have enlisted the help of a US federal court in Washington DC. Their intent was to enforce a US$277 million arbitral award against Zimbabwe which they won after their farmland was grabbed by the government.
View some of the details relating to this below:
If the Zimbabwean government returns title, it will owe US$65m, but if it fails, it will owe US$196m, which has ballooned to US$227m. This amount includes US$1m in "moral damages" for the government's refusal to provide the family with police protection against violent takeover.
— TheNewsHawks (@NewsHawksLive) July 27, 2021
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