The challenges of rebranding Zimbabwe’s image post 2017: media coverage of Statutory Instrument (SI) 62 of 2020

When the ZANU-PF-led government of Robert Mugabe implemented the fast-track land reform initiative in 2000, serious abuses of property rights and land tenure were committed. The media widely disseminated pictures of murdered commercial farmers and demolished infrastructure, portraying Zimbabwe as a dangerous place to conduct business. These developments appear to have been at the back of Mnangagwa’s mind when he promised to compensate white commercial farmers. The compensation provisions outlined in SI 62 of 2020 (Land Commission (Gazetted Land) (Disposal in Lieu of Compensation) Regulations, 2020) are under issue in this article. Anchored on corrective action, nation brand management, and framing theories, the article’s aim is to conduct a discourse analysis of SI and its representation in local and international media. This article makes the case that while SI’s goals are admirable, its execution is cumbersome. Farmers’ ability to renegotiate their property rights is limited by the SI. Mnangagwa’s initial intention to favourably reposition Zimbabwe as a stable economic centre is likely to be jeopardised by this legal bind. The article highlights the need for Zimbabwe to respect the rule of law and pay compensation for confiscated commercial land.