In law, compensation is payment of damages - a type of legal remedy and refer to the money paid or awarded to a person (either natural or legal) following a successful claim by that person in a civil action. (Wikipedia)

Invariably, compensation is normally an out of court settlement.

Compensation is a word that Robert Mugabe uses a lot. He uses it in connection with the ongoing land grab, saying that the farmers need to claim any recompense from the British government for the farms. He is supposed to be paying the farmers for any improvements to the land - farmhouses, irrigation systems and the like - but his administration has offered somewhere in the region of just 3 to 10% of the true value.

The fact that Mugabe’s regime was paid by the British government in the 1980’s to finance the compensation in a ‘willing buyer, willing seller’ scenario seems to be overlooked a little too often for my liking.

In the last couple of weeks, there has arisen two instances where compensation is key.

First of all, the provincial governors unilaterally appointed by Mugabe are to be compensated by the unity government for their loss of earnings following their enforced step-down. Why should the UNITY government pay out for MUGABE’s error? Surely ZANU PF must pay the compensation?

Today, it was on the news wires that two chiefs had returned looted goods and livestock to MDC members and activists. The goods and cattle had been stolen by ZANU PF militia during the political violence that wracked Zimbabwe last year.

This was obviously an attempt by the pro-ZANU PF chiefs to prevent any compensation case being decided in court that would cost the Mugabe party activists even more money.

Not that any of them will accede to any ruling by any court to pay any MDC member compensation.

Mugabe doesn’t do it - his party doesn’t do it - so why should they rock the boat?

And any compensation that is paid to the MDC members will no doubt be in the abandoned local currency - while any compensation paid to any ZANU PF individual (like the governors) will be paid in foreign currency - probably forex lifted by Gono from accounts held by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe without any authority.

You see, in Zimbabwe, ZANU PF are the only people that count - according to them at any rate.

MDC members and supporters, and ordinary members of the public do not count in any decision that involves money. Before today, Gono has ensured that any foreign currency given as aid or assistance has been ‘filtered’ through the central bank, and he ensures that the relevant agency receives the required amount - in local currency, whilst the foreign currency disappears mysteriously into ZANU PF accounts and coffers.

Any ruling against ZANU PF is routinely ignored - whether this is a legal ruling in any criminal matter, or a civil case. That is just the way Mugabe does it.

Regardless of what the cost, and even if Mugabe has to act in contempt of his own court rulings, then sobeit.

He created the law court network to work in that court, and it is very pro-Mugabe and rulings often come out of cases that indicate that thinking.

Compensation - a word which applies to anyone except ZANU PF members and their leaders.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man