via Zimbabwe: Farmer’s Daughter Dies in Brutal Attack by email May 15, 2014
Commercial Farmers’ Union Death Notice
15 May 2014
It is with profound sadness that the Commercial Farmers’ Union in Zimbabwe has learnt of the brutal attack on two of our farming community members on Saturday 10 May 2014, namely Malcolm Francis and his daughter Catherine of Guruve [a farming district north 130km of Harare].
It is with deep regret that we announce the subsequent passing of Catherine Francis on the 14 May 2014.
We at the Commercial Farmers’ Union, together with our members, offer our most sincere condolences to the family and pray for a quick and full recovery of Malcolm after having undergone delicate surgery.
We strongly urge the Government authorities to deal with this cowardly and barbaric attack with the full resource that it deserves, furthermore we condemn this attack in the strongest terms and we urge the authorities to act quickly and decisively in stabilizing our commercial farming subsector in the shortest possible time.
Our deepest sympathy and prayers go to the Francis family and may Catherine’s dear soul rest in peace. May the Lord be with them all through this very difficult time.
Charles Taffs
President
Commercial farmers’ Union, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 (4) 790 274 or 790 276
E-mail: ctaffs@cfuzim.org
COMMENTS
I hope Zimbabwe’s new ‘hangman’ is preparing his ropes. But I don’t suppose these evil people will be found and brought to justice – probably some ”big-wig’s” relatives or paid scivvies!
Hello Angela, I am an x-farmer thrown off our farm 10 years ago to cause the untimely death of my husband through depression of loosing his livilihood and virtually loosing his life, a man of the soil and was unable to adapt to a false life in a city where he did not grow up. The Zim farming story is a very sad one where this country went from the “Bread Basket of Africa” to the”Begging Bowl of Africa” and sadly the white farmers that have clawed on with their finger nails to stay on their farms are out there in the bush on their own, no community around them, no stability and no helping hand when they need one.
The brutal attack of dear Malcolm and Catherine Francis whom we had farmed near is a result of farmers totally alone and at the mercy of any passer by to be abused at will and even murdered at will! Sadly the law in our beloved country has collapsed in a heap and marauders on the land do feel they will not be broght to justice for murder and brutality! In a country that is on its knees anything can happen, and sadly it is happening!
We as the European community in Zimbabwe live here under a veil of hope that it will all come back, but we have also come to accept that we are only visitors in this land, this is Africa as they say for the African!
The Francis saga has hit Zimbabwe badly, and we do come to the reality that we are not wanted!!!
Thank you for your time and kindness with our dilema.
Stay safe.
Yours,
Ann Murray
When you are being subjected to ethnic cleansing, it is safest to leave the country, even if it is your birthplace.
And how, exactly, does one do that when you only have a Zim passport?? Whites are not viewed as ‘at risk’ by other countries as they remain largely ‘a-political’ and therefore cannot quality for asylum. Forget the rhino, the whites are fast becoming the new endangered animals in Zim.
people coming from the majority race are claiming – what euruope needs to do is re-think
SPEAK OUT SPEAK OUT
The CAUCASIANS ARE NOT GIVEN PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OVER THE OTHERS ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM MUGABES TRIBE WHO ARE CLAIMING THEY ARE FLEEING PERSECUTION . SOMEONE LIKE BEN FREETH needs to talk OUT LOUDLY and someone needs to talk to the EU and other European Politicians. these people are HELPLESS coupled that the Foreign NGOS from abroad are not assisting them including the MIXED RACE PEOPLE adnthe OPPOSITION IS DOING NOTHING WHATSOEVER BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS except look after themselves
Easier said than done! Mentally and financially impossible for those still farming out there I think.
There’s a lot of young Zim lads serving with me in the Royal Marines Commandos that have had to leave their parents land in (kwe kwe), (plum tree) etc, excuse spelling. They tell us of the horrific stories and how farmers are constantly targeted as the president encourages it! The South African lads say it’s starting to get worse in sa now too!
I just wish our British government would step in! As Marines, we would be more than willing to assist old colonials!
Maybe setting claymores on the outskirts of your farm house may be an idea.
You’re in our prayers.
Hello Ann,
Thanx for your reply to my comment. My concern, however, is because I too am a born & bred Rhodie/Zimbo. I was forced to leave in 2003, very unhappily, when my business folded owing to the beginning of the economic collapse. If you wish to keep in touch you can find me on Facebook or RWW (Rhodesians World Wide).
Angela Wigmore
zanupf goons.
“Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be mad known.” Matt 10:26 Just as the Rwandan genocide was triggered by the slur ‘coakroaches’ over the radio so some in ZPF have spent years nurturing hared and revenge in this nation; against minority groups, different tribes anyone perceived to be opposition. “Surely it is time for You to act of Lord for the have regarded Your laws as void.” Enough is enough. Where are the so called Christians in ZPF. We have heard enough hate speech from our so called leader to last a life time. may he repent and others with him and may God’s divine justice be seen.
I know this is late but do you honestly think that a man or woman committed to Zanupf and mugabe can live in the Spirit of God and follow a murderer and genocidal killer with no concience?
May you pliz give us the full details of your story mr president of what really transpired on the very fateful day, who the suspects are, whether any police report was made and is there any progress in as far as trying to bring the culprits to book rather than just telling us you wish to offer your most sincere condolences to the family, yes we all do but tell us what happened who did this. May the soul of the young lady rest in peace and a quick recovery to the father.
i support you kufe. let the president tell the story in full so that the law will take its course please
This is a continuation of our much extolled “land reform programme.” Expect nobody to be called to book. My sincere condolences to the Francis family. Your pain is shared.
This is the same crowd of murderers who have systematically been attacking and killing innocent farmers since the brutal beating, to within an inch of his life, of Mr De La Faurgue in Centenary, the attack and killing of Mr Zeitsman of Centenary,the attack and subsequent death of Mr Ervine of Guruve and now the attack on the Francis’s.These murderers have been given an open license with no strings attached,I believe they have been identified but released working for ZPF.
what exactly transpired? what are the fine details of this story?
about time the CAUCASIANS IN ZIM NEED TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THEIR STATUS GO TO THE EMBASSIES AND TALK TO THE AMBASSADORS AND PUT THEM IN THE PICTURE – BE VOCAL LOUD- GET THE SUPPORT FROM OTHERS OUTSIDE
Whites belong in Zim just as much as other races, look around the world there is a good mix, so what is so different about Zim?
Not with ROBERT GABRIEL MUGABE EVERYONE KNOWS IT
to the remaining CAUCASIANS GET hold of BEN FREETH he is your only hope – If zimbabwe situation can assist please do that- NOTHING WILL CHANGE UNDER THIS SCUM BAG if he could do it to the NDEBELES – a minority
MINORITY GROUPS UNITE until the scum bg goes
On this day, date and time,150 years ago, earth was full of people of all races, creeds and colours….but today they are all dead just waiting for the trumpet to sound and go for the appointment to see the just and true judge…
We will all die so never waste time by killing some innocent people…it’s all vanity
not a COMMENT from the GRAND COALITION from this incident Mr. Editor??
@Petal: I am sure you mean well and are a tortured Rhodie/Zim soul like many of us, but your comments are very aggressive and sometimes way over the top. Calm down a little before you put finger-to-keyboard if you want to be taken seriously.
My sincere condolences to the family. May the day come when those that perpetrate such pain and suffering on others pay for their transgressions regardless of their race or political affiliation. We are all made in the image of God and human life is sacred. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
My friend and her dad were walking their dogs when they were attacked on the heads by men with axes then left tied up under a tree, in comas. That’s what happened. Catherine died a few days later from severe head injuries send we await Malcolm’s awakening….
Jim & I so very sorry to hear this sad news. Yet more evil perpetrated on innocent people. Sadly, the rest of the world doesn’t care. God bless.
DISGRACE OR HER SON, OR SOME BUFOON MAYBE AFTER THE FARM because they can just walk it and take it after your HARD WORK
They forget it is some of your farmers who are now in Zambia that are still feeding this THIEVING SCROUNGING SCUM BAG and his people
the ZAMBIANS must be saying ARE WE FEEDING THESE PEOPLE AGAIN from across the zambezi after they were claiming that they were going to do better than us
All the sugar, maize, commodities used to go to the camps that housed the ZIMBOS
but you kno what the ZAMBIANS ARE NOT ARROGANT LIKE ZIMBOS
The queen bee has to be dead first then the rest will follow see.
A Lawless Place Zimbabwe.
You are right JAMES GILMOUR in a civilised society this would never have happened
James sadly in Zim we live under a cloud, this hangs over us trying to lull us into a sense of security, but at each step we get shattered by white and black families being attacked!! There is no law that can really protect you here and when something happens where you are attacked in your vehicle or your home reporting to the Police Station is agony, as one can be there 3 hours being interrogated and one wonders in the end of this whether you are the criminal? And even with the reports, the attacks continue! It is purely the collapse of everything around us and we can see this happening but even though we could try and battle this it sadly is not our endaba anymore! We are totally in the minority and cannot stand up and say our minds, reports to foreign media, if names were mentioned could put us in hot water therefore we go through the next heartache of dear friends being murdered! Sadly since the year 2000 we have lost so many, this has not only been whites but our labour on the farms have been brutally murdered too for being close to the whites, calling them traitors and the name “black white men” after being strung up with barbed wire and beaten by the youth brigade with wood with sharp nails protruding, the loyalty of these souls was commendable, and now the agony still continues. If people are given freedom to brutalise at will they will take advantage of this freedom and go full speed ahead and do their barbaric work! My sadness is dear Malcolm and Catherine, the darkness came upon them in the guise of axe weilding murderers, the world should know, the world should be told, I could get onto the rooftops of the BBC and scream and shout about this but what are we, just little Zim left to cope on our own, no help, would they even notice???
Why are not Dabengwa and Bob telling the truth how they people used to brag that when they take over all will be ok and the local Zambians were not amused at all. they used to say things like look at the queues when we take over we will not have queues
have a hunch that the workers are in this incident too
Petal please go sleep now. Your ranting is getting embarrassing and boring.
Still killing White Farmer….Still nothing being done….What’s new about this Story? Courts a JOKE. ZERO JUSTICE…. JUST Miserable times…
As a White Zimbabwean, I really get annoyed at the continued referral of Rhodies and Rhodesians. How can we ask for inclusion, yet not wanting to let go of the past. We are Zimbabwean and should accept that. Whatever we may say, the period of Rhodesia from ‘UDI’ to 1980 was a period that we should not be proud of. Let’s move on and build a Zimbabwe were we can all hold our heads high.
A life has been lost here, lets respect that and dedicate our efforts for change, for all lives lost (black and white) and focus our efforts on the real enemy of Zimbabwe, that being ZANU PF.
Peace and reconciliation for all ZIMBABWEANS.
You’re living in a dream world kid. You aren’t welcome as a white Zimbo. Have you STILL not figured that out?!?!?1
Petal is right!
All White, Asian and mixed-race Zimbabweans AND South Africans should automatically be given ancestry visas and the right to return to their countries of ancestral origin. E.g. Britain, France, Netherlands, Germany, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, etc, etc.
Shame on you Europe for abandoning us after benefitting so much from our Grandparents and Ancestors sacrifices! Shame! Shame! Shame! You traitors!
Yeah Right,perhaps all the people that are not born in the UK,Germany, Netherlands France, India ,Pakistan,Malaysia etc etc etc. Then there are a few that need to return to there ancestral land like Zimbabwe.
Agreed! But it’s to do with ethnicity not birthplace!
Zimbabweans who live outside of Zimbabwe must return. What right do they really have to live in other countries?!?!?!
It’s all about ethnicity now Mr. Gilmour. Thank RGM for that. Zimbabweans must sort their c*ap out at home not run to Europe.
I rest my case.
What about the Shonas and Ndebeles? Shouldn’t they also get ancestral visas because they too invaded and slaughtered and obliterated the indigenous inhabitants – the Koi San people?
This is not only happening in Zim, South African farmers are facing the same, violence and murder simply because of the colour of their skin. Is this unique to these 2 countries or is this happening all over Africa and we just don’t hear about it? Does anyone who can do something about it actually care?
My deepest sympathies go out to the Francis family. Iwezimb, I agree with you. Lets put the past behind and focus on a new Zimbabwe. Two wrongs do not make a right. Killing someone, anyone, is not right… Petal sound so angry, just calm down and take a deep breath. I pray for peace and a united Zimbabwe, where every Zimbabwean is treated fairly, respected for who they are and not because of the color of their skin. God bless Zimbabwe and all its people.
Well said Mixed race. Iam black and I empathise with the greived family. We are all suffering under the hands of Mugabe and one can only hope this bondage will go away soon
So agree, the long and short of this very sad story there is a mother who cannot hold her daughter anymore, as of yesterday there is also a wife who can no longer hold her husband.
My heart goes out to the family who are left behind.
Rest in Peace Malcolm
If teams are forced to play in empty stadiums because of racists chants by their supporters I think it should also be the same with Zimbabwe. It is a racist state and has should not be allowed anywhere near normal countries.
The whole truth and detail of what happened and what they found at the scene are not being told.
Suffice to say that if can imagine the absolute worst that could happen to a human being, it happened here.
The savagery inflicted on this girl was so brutal that it is hard to imagine how anybody could do this to another human being. The sad thing is that the whole truth may never come out because the fear of the living prevents this. This illustrates how low it can go.
There is no law and order in Zimbabwe and those who have the knowledge to tell the world of what happened and will not expose that truth are perpetuating the problem. They are giving licence and the green light to zanupf goons to carry on behaving like the savages they are, with impunity.
The truth is that fear overrides all other considerations and the Stockholm syndrome has become the norm in this very sick society.
Nothing in the world and beyond can justify the killing of unarmed civillians, even in a state of war, it remains a crime to kill civillians.
However in the early 80s wen Ndebeles were massacred by Gukurahundi, the white community was in awe of Mugabe and Zanu PF. Bob was their man. White people in Zimbabwe hav always liked playing tribal games. Ian Smith had ” divide and rule” the natives as a political tool of dormination. The white establishment supported the tribalism that split ZAPU, sidelining Nkomo yet propping up Mugabe.
Dyke and the Rhodesian army openly fought alongside Zanla forces against Zipra at Ntumbane. Whites are therefore implicit in this tribal dance of death.
Whites also tend to have a selective memory. They forget how these farms were founded: conquest, murder and plunder. Where ever they were established, these farms became centres of slavery, child labour and farm owners were a law unto themselves. In some farms in SA today, boer farmers are still a law unto themselves, enslaving labor, paying workers with wine instead of money and all sorts of illtreament.
The farm problems in SA and Zim are a historical problem. Farmers need to be true to themselves regarding how they interact and treat their workers and poor rural communities around them. Those who are cruel expose themselves to the wrath of the poor communities around them.
Having said that much i still insist killing unarmed civillians is a crime at any time. I also agree that ancestral visas must be reinstated in Zim and SA to allow endangered minorities to escape to their ancestral countries including Ndebele Ngunis. This culd hav saved a lot of Ndebele lives against Gukurahundi and perhaps more white lives during Hunzvi and Chinotimba s land Chimurenga.
Like they say Zimbabwe ndeye ropa (Zimbabwe is bloody). Zimbabwe fought the bloodiest liberation war in Southern Africa, bloodiest civil war in 80s, bloodiest economic war on land in late 90s to 2000s and today they are fighting the bloodiest economic sanctions, displacing millions and starving many more!
The curse of blood continues in Zimbabwe and i will not be surprised if the next President’s nickname will be Teurayiropa (meaning spill blood)!
Ironically Vice President Joyce ” Teurayiropa” Mujuru seems the only sensible option in this bloody mess!
Bayete Mzilikazi!
Oh yeah you seem to know it all.
Excuse the pun…but your a bloody idiot.
@Godonga…. and where did Mzilikazi come from? Or is your memory being selective?
Psalms 28 v 2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands towards your holy sanctuary.
v3 Do not take me away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity. v4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours, give them according to the work of their hands render to them what they deserve.
That is for all who are responsible for the death of Catherine. May her soul rest in peace, may the comfort of God surround Mr. Francis at this time. In the Mighty Name Of Jesus. Amen