Zimbabwe softens stance on farms seizures

09 March 1998

Zimbabwe "softens" stance on farms seizures

A UNITED Nations Development Programme report says the Zimbabwe government has softened its controversial plan to seize white-owned farms for landless blacks without paying for the land.

The report follows a statement by Zimbabwe agriculture minister Kumbirai
Kangai that 120 farms rather than the originally-planned 1,500 would be
seized. He added that compensation payments to farmers would take into account
all of the value of the land and not just improvements such as houses or irrigation.

• The Guardian 09/03/98 page 12