Zimbabwe Farmers Speak
THE WORLD MUST KNOW YOUR STORY
● The Truth ● The Trauma ● The Strategy ● The Impact
The story of Zimbabwe’s brutal and catastrophic farm invasions
Section 5, 7, 8 Acquisition
Section 5 (acquisition notice), Section 8 (acquisition order) and Section 7 (acquisition confirmation) – explanation from Mugabe and the White African
SECTION 5, SECTION 7, SECTION 8 – EXPLANATION
“The list” that was published every Friday in The Herald was the list of white farmers’ land that was up for acquisition. Our homes and our livelihoods depended on that list. If our farm was listed we had to act, otherwise we would lose everything by default.
The law wasn’t complicated. The government first had to issue a preliminary notice of acquisition, known as a Section 5. This was published in the newspaper and had to be delivered to the farm as well. When that was done, the farmer had thirty days in which to object.
Then the government could issue a Section 8, which was an acquisition order. This had to be confirmed through the administrative court, in what was known as a Section 7.
If the acquisition was confirmed, all that the government had to do was to pay fair compensation within a reasonable time. Then the farmer had to move out.
Ref: Ben Freeth: “Mugabe and the White African”
Justice for Agriculture Q&A re the amendment to the Land Acquisition Act, Section 5 notices and Section 8 and 7 orders – Read More