Five Zimbabwean war veterans have filed a High Court application challenging the government’s $3.5 billion compensation agreement with white farmers as unconstitutional and implemented without parliamentary approval.
Led by Joseph “Ginger” Chinguwa, the liberation war fighters argue that the deal struck by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration lacks transparency and proper legal foundation. They are represented by former finance minister and rights lawyer Tendai Biti.
The group contends that any compensation agreement requires an act of parliament under section 295(4) of Zimbabwe’s constitution, which the government has not obtained.
“To this day the Global Compensation Agreement is a closely kept secret. In a country governed by the rule of law and constitutionalism, this is clearly unconstitutional,” Chinguwa stated in court documents filed Thursday.
The veterans also question the methodology used to calculate the $3.5 billion figure and what exactly constitutes “improvements” eligible for compensation.
“The challenge we have as war veterans is that the government has not disclosed how it assessed and valued the $3.5 billion,” Chinguwa said. “Is it dams? Is it buildings? Is it anything permanently affixed to the land?”
The legal challenge comes just weeks after Zimbabwe’s finance minister Mthuli Ncube announced the government had made its first compensation payments under the 2020 agreement. In April 2025, the government disbursed $3.1 million to 378 farmers, representing just 1% of the total $311 million compensation claim for the first batch of 740 approved farms.
According to the payment structure, farmers receive 1% of their claim in cash, with the balance to be settled through US dollar-denominated treasury bonds with maturities of 2 to 10 years.
The government had previously paid $20 million in February 2025 to foreign farmers from countries including Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands whose properties were protected by bilateral investment agreements.
A separate group representing nearly half of the affected 4,000 white farmers has also rejected the compensation as inadequate. Deon Theron, their representative, called the payments “a tiny fraction” of what was originally agreed and said farmers accepting the payments were doing so “because they are destitute and require urgent funds for food, accommodation and healthcare.”
President Mnangagwa’s push to resolve the land issue has reportedly created divisions within the ruling Zanu PF party. His deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, allegedly believes the funds would be better directed toward public infrastructure and social programs.
The war veterans expressed similar concerns in their application, stating: “Land was at the epicentre of our struggle for independence. We are particularly concerned that $3.5 billion is being paid to farmers when we war veterans are dying and languishing in deep poverty.”
The compensation scheme forms a key part of Zimbabwe’s debt resolution and international re-engagement strategy after years of sanctions imposed by Western countries following the land seizures in the early 2000s.
The case, which could potentially derail the entire compensation scheme, is yet to be scheduled for hearing at the High Court. Joining Chinguwa in the application are fellow veterans Godfrey “Zvabhendazvabhenda” Gurira, Joseph “Hitler Bazooka” Chinyangare, Reuben Zulu and Digmore Ndiya.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
