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Herald Reporter

THE Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa has expressed its displeasure with the utterances made by South African opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, which sought to cast aspersions at the recently signed US$3,5 billion Global Compensation Deed (GCD) deal between Government and white former farmers.

In a statement, the Embassy said the country will not be lectured by misinformed and misguided regional parties such as the EFF.

It said that the agreement was a fulfilment of the country’s constitutional provisions.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in South Africa read with contestation and utter disbelief the EFF statement on the announcement by the President of Zimbabwe on compensating white farmers issued on July 31, 2020,” said the embassy.

“The Embassy has, in the past, restrained itself from responding to the many provocative statements issued by the EFF about Zimbabwe. On this occasion, we cannot remain silent in the face of the EFF’s pretentiousness to know more about the history and politics of Zimbabwe than the Zimbabweans themselves.

“Even more, the EFF has the audacity to dare teach Zimbabweans, even our Head of State, about the land question in our country.”

The embassy said not only did thousands of compatriots pay the supreme sacrifice for the return of the land to its rightful owners, but many people were shouldering the burden of sanctions imposed by those opposed to the land reform programme.

Provisions of the Global Compensation Deed Agreement signed on July 29, 2020 between the Government of Zimbabwe and representatives of the former commercial farmers fully adhered to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in particular Section 72, which dealt with Rights to Agricultural Land.

“That section stipulates in paragraph 3 (a) that where agricultural land is compulsorily acquired for public purpose, no compensation is payable in respect of its acquisition, except for improvements effected on it before its acquisition,” said the embassy.

“This is what the signed compensation agreement of July 29, 2020 provides for. The Government of Zimbabwe will compensate the former farmers for the improvements on the acquired land only. No more. There is nothing treasonous in upholding one’s own national constitution.

“It will be recalled that the Constitution of Zimbabwe was approved by 95 percent of votes in a referendum held in 2013 and was assented to and signed into law by the then Head of State, the (then) President Robert Mugabe on May 22, 2013.”

Malema’s EFF, which has offered a political home to members of the G40 faction, who are running away from the long arm of the law, in its statement wrongly claimed that the Government would pay for the land with money that has since been secured, but this is far from the truth.