Zimbabwe’s evicted elderly white farmers pin last hopes on compensation
Mutare — Brian van Buuren, a white former farmer in Burma Valley, eastern Zimbabwe, could not hide his anger as he recalled how he lost almost everything during the country’s controversial land reforms. After investing most of his money in his tobacco farm, Van Buuren was left almost destitute when his land was seized by the government in 2010. "I lost virtually everything," said Van Buuren, 80. Today, he is one of countless evicted elderly white landowners struggling to make ends meet as they wait for compensation that many fear may never come because the black farmers expected to stump up the cash say they do not have it. In September, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the government had paid $42.7m to farmers in compensation. "The government has taken a big step towards compensation of previous farmers," he said. "The government is expediting the mapping and valuation of improvements on farms acquired under the land-reform programme so it can compensate the farmers." Chinam...
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