Constitution of Zimbabwe (as amended by Constitution Amendment No. 19)
(a) under colonial domination the people of Zimbabwe were unjustifiably
dispossessed of their land and other resources without compensation;
(b) the people consequently took up arms in order to regain their land and
political sovereignty, and this ultimately resulted in the Independence of
Zimbabwe in 1980;
(c) the people of Zimbabwe must be enabled to reassert their rights and
regain ownership of their land;
and accordingly—
(i) the former colonial power has an obligation to pay compensation for
agricultural land compulsorily acquired for resettlement, through an
adequate fund established for the purpose; and
(ii) if the former colonial power fails to pay compensation through such a
fund, the Government of Zimbabwe has no obligation to pay
compensation for agricultural land compulsorily acquired for
resettlement.
(2) In view of the overriding considerations set out in subsection (1), where
agricultural land is acquired compulsorily for the resettlement of people in
accordance with a programme of land reform, the following factors shall be taken
into account in the assessment of any compensation that may be payable⎯
(a) the history of the ownership, use and occupation of the land;
(b) the price paid for the land when it was last acquired;
(c) the cost or value of improvements on the land;
(d) the current use to which the land and any improvements on it are being
put;
(e) any investment which the State or the acquiring authority may have made
which improved or enhanced the value of the land and any improvements
on it;
(f) the resources available to the acquiring authority in implementing the
programme of land reform;
(g) any financial constraints that necessitate the payment of compensation in
instalments over a period of time; and
(h) any other relevant factor that may be specified in an Act of Parliament.
[Section inserted by section 3 of Act 5 of 2000 – Amendment No. 16.]
16B Agricultural land acquired for resettlement and other purposes
(1) In this section⎯
“acquiring authority” means the Minister responsible for lands or any other
Minister whom the President may appoint as an acquiring authority for
the purposes of this section;
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