THE Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) War Veterans Association has called for a comprehensive land audit before government proceeds with the return of 67 farms covered under Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements.
The call comes after government announced plans to return farms owned by foreign nationals under investment treaties, with war veterans arguing that the process must balance constitutional obligations, historical justice and economic stability.
They said a proper audit was needed to assess land utilisation, multiple farm ownership and fairness in past allocations before restitution was finalised.
ZPRA deputy spokesperson Joackim Moyo told Southern Eye that land remains central to Zimbabwe’s liberation history, national identity and economic independence, and must be handled cautiously.
Moyo warned that the land issue “should neither be used to cover up nor drum up support and survival for failure.”
He said colonial land dispossession under Rhodesia triggered the liberation struggle, adding that land reform remains “a historical, political and economic commodity of pure national definition and progression”.
Keep Reading
- Zanu PF factional fights exposed
- Zipra fed up with ‘govt empty promises’
- War vets demand stake in new govt
- Improve our welfare, war vets tell ED
The war veteran, however, acknowledged Zimbabwe’s constitutional and international obligations on property rights, bilateral investment agreements and compensation.
“The liberation struggle was never a struggle for lawlessness, but for justice, dignity and equitable land ownership,” Moyo said.
“Zimbabwe must protect the gains of independence while respecting lawful agreements, compensation frameworks and constitutional governance.”
The veterans questioned unequal access to land after resettlement, saying the politically-connected elite benefited more than ordinary ex-combatants.
Moyo said the return of farms should be guided by a land audit focusing on underutilised land and multiple farm ownership.
He said land must serve national priorities including food security, employment, exports and development “regardless of race, provided national sovereignty is respected as enshrined in the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe.”
He noted that while resettled land is generally protected from legal challenge, compensation is recognised for improvements, while foreign-owned farms are further protected under bilateral
treaties.
“As veterans of the liberation struggle, we maintain that the land issue arose from colonial dispossession and remains central to Zimbabwe’s independence and correction of historical injustice,” he said.
Moyo said the restitution process must be orderly and fair, warning against forced removals.
Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka told Parliament that the 67 farms are owned by nationals from Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, and are protected under pre-2000 bilateral agreements.
“We are in the process of returning those to them,” Masuka said.
He said the move was part of efforts to restore international relations and support debt relief.
Masuka also said 840 farms owned by black farmers and about 400 owned by white farmers were being processed under the broader restitution programme.
Former Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo urged government to handle the process transparently and honour international agreements to rebuild investor confidence.
He said compensation should focus on improvements made on the land rather than the land itself, which belongs to the State.
Moyo also called for an independent valuation of farms and protection of black farmers who benefited from the land reform.
He warned that uncertainty over land ownership was discouraging investment and slowing agricultural productivity.
“This process must become a win-win situation for black farmers, white farmers and the government,” he said.