In what appears to be a complete reversal of previous land reform policies, the Zimbabwe government now says it's prepared to pay for fully developed farmland on which to resettle landless peasants and emergent black commercial farmers. But, as the BBC's Ian Mills reports from Harare, a question mark remains on whether President Robert Mugabe, who is currently out of the country in Germany, has agreed to the change.

A one-page report in the Independent Financial Gazette newspaper, quotes an unidentified official in the land ministry as saying that it's been decided that the land reform programme is to be carried out in a transparent manner and in accordance with the law. The official is quoted as saying that, as a result, all fully utilised land will be paid for.

But no payment will be made for what was considered to be derelict land. The compensation to be paid would be that deemed to be fair by the evaluators, but it's not known who they'll be, or whether their assessments will be based on open-market prizes.

The newspaper said that the Lands and Agriculture Minister, Kumbirai Kangai, had confirmed the about-turn on the land issue, which has earned Zimbabwe and President Mugabe a great deal of criticism over the past six months, during which Mr. Mugabe has repeatedly rejected any suggestion of payment for land.

Because of Mr. Mugabe's assertive stance, and his sharp criticism of those in his party and government who wanted, as he put it, to chicken out from the agreed policy of nationalisation, a question mark hangs over the true provision, particularly as the change has been revealed while Mr. Mugabe is out of the country, telling his German hosts that he will not be deterred from his land reform programme.
 

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