War veterans sued Zimbabwe officials over money for white farmers. Five former fighters say the plan to pay $3.5 billion breaks the law because Parliament never approved it. They also question how officials counted farm values without clear rules about what counts as improvements versus land itself.
The government has already promised this cash to over 4,000 farmers who lost land during past seizures. President Mnangagwa hopes paying farmers will help fix relationships with Western nations that criticized those takeovers. Officials have paid just $3 million so far for 378 farms.
The veterans claim officials hide details about who gets paid for what. They argue that things fixed to land, like dams or buildings, should count as part of the land itself. Their lawyer, Tendai Biti, asks the High Court to cancel the entire deal as illegal. Many veterans feel upset about giving money to farmers when former fighters live in poverty with poor hospitals.
The government has already promised this cash to over 4,000 farmers who lost land during past seizures. President Mnangagwa hopes paying farmers will help fix relationships with Western nations that criticized those takeovers. Officials have paid just $3 million so far for 378 farms.
The veterans claim officials hide details about who gets paid for what. They argue that things fixed to land, like dams or buildings, should count as part of the land itself. Their lawyer, Tendai Biti, asks the High Court to cancel the entire deal as illegal. Many veterans feel upset about giving money to farmers when former fighters live in poverty with poor hospitals.
