White farmers in Zimbabwe, thousands of whom had their land seized in violent state-backed invasions beginning in 2000, are pinning their hopes on US President Donald Trump’s administration to help them win billions of dollars in compensation.
Mercury Public Affairs LLC, a US lobbying firm with ties to Trump, has agreed to make the farmers’ case to American politicians and won’t charge them, according to a previously unreported Foreign Agents Registration Act disclosure that was filed last month.
Bryan Lanza, a partner at Mercury who is involved in the project according to a letter included in the filing, previously served as a senior campaign adviser to Trump and communications director on the president’s first transition team. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is a former Mercury co-chair.
By turning to Mercury, the farmers are tapping into the US administration’s view that White people in southern Africa are being discriminated
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