Zimbabwe Reopens Land Issue: Returning Hundreds of Farms After Two Decades
Theo Al Jazeera English
Zimbabwe's government has announced a plan to address three categories of land claims, including returning 67 farms to foreign investors and restoring 840 farms to Black owners, while denying any reversal of the land reform program. The move is seen as part of efforts to mend relations with the West and attract investment, but it has stirred mixed emotions among both former owners and reform beneficiaries.
Harare, Zimbabwe – More than two decades after Zimbabwe seized thousands of mostly White-owned commercial farms, some of those properties are set to change hands again. However, President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government stresses the move is not a reversal of the land redistribution program that reshaped Zimbabwe's countryside after 2000.
Instead, officials say they are addressing three separate categories of land claims involving foreign investors, Black Zimbabwean owners, and White farmers who remain on land that was taken.
Sixty-seven farms protected under bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements (BIPPAs) will be returned to investors from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. An additional 840 farms that officials say were swept into the acquisition process through errors in land reform will be handed back to Black Zimbabwean owners.
In addition, 409 White farmers still living on farms alongside beneficiaries of the land reform will be allowed to buy back the farms or the portions they occupy through a compensation mechanism covering qualifying improvements.
“The BIPPA process is intended to address outstanding legal obligations related to investment protected under bilateral agreements. It should not be mistaken for a return to the pre-land-reform era,” Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka told Parliament.
The distinction matters because land remains one of the most politically sensitive issues in Zimbabwe, tied closely to the colonial past and the liberation struggle.
Colonial Legacy
At independence in 1980, White commercial farmers controlled much of Zimbabwe's most fertile farmland, reflecting colonial policies that restricted Black access to prime agricultural land.
Under the Lancaster House agreement, initial redistribution largely operated on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis, with Britain helping to fund the early phase. But redistribution proceeded far more slowly than Black Zimbabweans expected.
In February 2000, voters rejected a government-backed referendum to expand the state's land acquisition powers. Soon after, veterans of the liberation war and supporters of ZANU-PF, the party that has led Zimbabwe since independence, began seizing White-owned farms. The government legitimized the seizures through the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP).
Supporters saw the seizures as unfinished business of independence. Human Rights Watch documented violence, intimidation, and political discrimination in the process, while disputes over ownership and allocation dragged on for years. The upheaval severely disrupted commercial agriculture and contributed to Zimbabwe's broader economic crisis, which had multiple causes, including monetary, fiscal, drought, and other policy failures.
Three Categories of Claims
The new policy differentiates three groups of claimants, each with distinct legal and political bases.
The first group is the 67 BIPPA-protected farms, involving foreign investors whose holdings are covered by bilateral agreements. Officials say these properties were designated for compulsory acquisition during land reform but were left vacant and are being returned to investors as Zimbabwe addresses its treaty obligations.
The second group is 840 farms that officials say were brought into the acquisition process by error and will be returned to Black Zimbabwean owners. The third group comprises 409 White farmers still on farms alongside beneficiaries of the reform—they will be allowed to buy back the farms or portions they occupy rather than having them returned directly.
“We Could Have Done Better”
Milton Gurajena, a veteran who took part in the land seizures, recalled it as a national campaign. “We simply walked onto farms, driven by a national frenzy. We arrived at the farm with very little notice to the owner. Our goal was to take back the land. The elders often took the land from us and advised us to find another farm,” he said.
He acknowledged that many participants did not fully understand the legal consequences. “We had little knowledge beyond the party directives and the general slogan 'we are taking back our land.' Of course, we had grievances, but looking back, we could have done better and in a more orderly manner without turning the process into a fight,” he said.
His story reflects the central tension of the land reform: a program meant to rectify historical injustice was marked by violence, political pressure, and legal instability.
Investment Pressures
For Mnangagwa's government, land decisions are not just about settling historical disputes but are part of a broader effort to rebuild ties with Western governments and international lenders. Zimbabwe is seeking debt relief, renewed access to international finance, and improved investor confidence. Analysts link the return of BIPPA-protected farms to these efforts.
The BIPPA process is separate from the $3.5 billion compensation framework for eligible former commercial farmers, agreed in 2020. That program covers farm improvements on land taken by the state while ownership remains with the state. Zimbabwe began payments under this framework in 2025, but the government faces fiscal constraints in meeting the broader commitment.
At the same time, the government says it is issuing title deeds to beneficiaries of land reform, aiming to strengthen tenure security and encourage investment. Officials stress that land reform remains irreversible.
Hope to Return to Farms
For some former owners, the new moves have revived hopes of regaining property lost more than two decades ago. Michael Kwaramba, a second-generation family heir, said his father suffered greatly after the farm was wrongly designated for acquisition during land reform. “He went through a lot when our farm was wrongly gazetted for acquisition; I think it contributed to his early death. We have waited many years, and this announcement is encouraging,” he said.
Willem Jansen, a Dutch-origin farmer born in Zimbabwe and now living in South Africa, also hopes to win back his family's farm. “I hope I will get the land back. It is our family land, and we created an ecosystem that even after we were forced out, farm workers and neighboring villages were affected, losing jobs and opportunities we had built together,” he said.
However, for those who fought for land reform, the prospect of former owners regaining a foothold remains hard to accept. Marko Dzingirai, a veteran, said he is unsure how the changes will affect farmers who settled on the land after reform. “Just like in the beginning when we rushed into farms, we did not know about the existence of these treaties and agreements. So now I don't know whether the farm here falls under BIPPA or not,” he said. “We support the party because of actions like these. Hopefully they will not betray our sacrifices.”
