Farm Report 27th July 2000
This is a summary of the latest
report on the situation on commercial farms, by the Commercial Farmers Union.
They report that the security
situation on most farms has worsened.
On Monday, David Brand of Gremlin
Farm, Karoi, was beaten & left unconscious by war veterans. He was rescued
by a farmers reaction unit, and his wife & children have been evacuated.
His condition is described as critical. "Police have been extremely
unhelpful" says the CFU.
War veterans attempted to stop
work at Chidikamwedzi and Mutuatua Farms, and police negotiated with them to
allow tobacco grading and the watering of seed beds. Workers at Ashford farm
had a confrontation with war veterans over land pegging. The owner managed to
defuse the situation, but was then accused by the war veterans of instigating
his workers to peg land. The war veterans have threatened to bring in support,
and the situation is very tense.
Horseshoe
War veterans are becoming
increasingly restless and militant, but the police are keeping the situation
stable. The owner of Penrose Farm received a death threat and there was an
attempted work stoppage on the farm, which was resolved by the police. Owners
of Naini Tal, Deneverty and Makwashe all had attempted work stoppages which
were successfully prevented by the police. There has been some pegging on
M'sonneddi and Chidziwa/Waddon Chase in Mvurwi, and the situation is being
monitored by the police.
There was a large build up at
"Maziti Base" on Monday afternoon. Four war veterans with a dozen
supporters arrived at Dorking Farm and told the owner to vacate within 24
hours. This group then moved on to Zanadu farm and became aggresive when their
demand for fuel was denied. The owner was threatened with eviction and the
group stated they would return in numbers and take over the whole farm. They
stated that they were communists, and not interested in the government's land
acquisition programme, and that they were going to take all farms. Concession
police were notified, but they had no transport and would not travel in the
farmer's vehicle. They arrived 2 hours after the event. A large crowd assembled
at Dandamera Township awaiting transport to invade Falling Waters Farm. There
are 40 war vets pegging Cranham Farm and awaiting instructions.
There was a visit to the labour
housing on Harmony Farm. Money changed hands between the invaders and farm
workers over plots of land. Some 12-15 people arrived at Avonduur Farm wanting
maps for Wolfhill and Leopardvlei so they can peg. The war veterans are
awaiting the return of the owner. A vehicle with unknown occupants arrived at
Chabara Farm. The farm owner is away so they left.Mukoko Farm has 20 war
veterans in occupation.
The owner of Mountain View Farm
was given a 3 day eviction notice by the leader of the war vets. There is a
build up of numbers on Avoca Farm and Lagnaha Farm. On Brockley, a very old
leader of the war vets was demanding to see the owner who is away. The supervisor
on Munzi Farm was abducted by 10 war vets and taken to Chenenga farm. Farm
workers were extremely distressed, but he has since been returned unharmed.
The owner of Sumerset/Riversdale
Farm was visited at the weekend by invaders who wanted to occupy the homestead.
They padlocked the security gate. The police were informed and they broke the
lock. A farmer from Raffeen farm was assaulted by war veterans at Panhowe
Butchery.
There has been no change at
Woodlands A and Woodlands B. War veterans have not allowed the owner of
Annandale to leave his home, but work is continuing.There was an attempted work
stoppage on Sunray which was resolved by the police.
There have been groups competing
for pegging of land on Stockdale Farm Yesterday morning, a large number of
people were demanding that the owner of Warick farm vacate the house. Police
were informed but have not yet reacted.
War veteran Kangachepi & four
others went to Mutendamambo and demanded the owner sign a book authorising the
handing over of the farm. He refused and a verbal altercation ensued. The war
veterans eventually left for the Msitwe River Ranch. A report was made to the
Mvurwi Police, and they attended the scene. At Msitwe River Ranch, the five war
vets entered the farm village early evening and threatened the farm mechanic.
Earlier on Monday, invaders stopped workers from placing irrigation pegs. They
told the workers to remove the pegs, but workers refused and then continued
work once the invaders had left. On Prangmere Farm, five guards prevented
thieves from entering the orchard to steal oranges. The owner reports hearing
poachers with dogs, at night along the Prangmere/Rusumbi Boundary. On Birkdale
Farm the workshop foreman reports seeing 6 poachers and 10 to 15 dogs on the
farm. This was reported by Mvurwi police, who did not attend.
At Lendy Farm, war veterans
demanded transport to collect youths from Marondera to peg the farm. The farmer
refused. They returned on Sunday and told the manager to vacate his house by
Monday afternoon or else they would burn the house, tractor and shed. On
Wenimbe land preparation for the next tobacco crop, is still being prevented,
due to huts being built in the land. The game fence on Esperance is being cut
regularly and scotchcarts from the resettlement area are coming on to farm to
fetch firewood. War veteran Edward Msaka, told the owner of Stow Farm, that he
would return yesterday with the people that pegged the farm, also with
livestock to plough their fields and they will be settling on the farm.
About 120 people arrived on
Plumstead and waited for their leader. When he arrived he realised they were on
the wrong farm and he told them to leave the farm. They became upset, started
shouting, and the leader went to the police station. Some of the vehicles
followed him, and a meeting was held in the Member in Charge's office for a few
hours. The outcome is still unknown.
Harare South
Trinket, Bramar, Donota, Tentelen
and Cordor Farms, which all run along the river, were pegged extensively as an
extension of Chitungwiza, and the farmers were told that the pegged stands were
exclusively residential plots.