A warning to SA from Zimbabwe’s white farmers: avoid our land reform blunders

The president of the Commercial Farmers Union of Zimbabwe (CFU), Peter van Zyl, has warned South Africa not to repeat mistakes made by his country in implementing its land reform. He says politicians should not use the land question to score political points. The CFU is a grouping of Zimbabwean white farmers, many of whom lost land during a messy land redistribution exercise that gravely affected the economy and left the country isolated by the west. Following years of open conflict with the government, the CFU is now in talks with Zimbabwe’s authorities, who are keen to take some corrective measures such as compensating evicted farmers and building partnerships. While Zimbabwe’s government is taking remedial measures over its land reform, there are fears South Africa could repeat mistakes made by its neighbour. In an interview with Business Day in Harare, Van Zyl said it would be foolhardy for South Africa to repeat blunders made across its border. “They shouldn’t do it in a hurrie...