Evolution and the future of compensation for expropriation in Zimbabwe: A historical review

Abstract

Zimbabwe has a rich history of compulsory land acquisition, dating to the origins of colonial rule in 1890. This history is documented in policy documents, print and social media, and academic publications. However, to the researchers' knowledge for a complete history of the trajectory followed by the laws guiding expropriation and compensation from 1890 to 2022, multiple sources must be consulted. Currently, limited work (if any) does not provide a complete picture of the genesis/evolution of statutory compulsory land acquisition laws covering the entire period. Thus, the purpose of this study was to provide a complete history of compensation for expropriation in Zimbabwe while pointing out issues relative to equity and natural justice that occurred during the period under review. This paper was based on desktop research from 2018 to 2023. Documents which included statutes and government policies were obtained online from the official websites of government institutions. Systematic content analysis was adopted, and data coding was done manually based on themes derived from the data. The findings of this study supported the view that compensation for expropriation in Zimbabwe is complex and the international community can help to bring closure to the issue.