| The ZIMBABWE Situation | Our
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It is understood South African
President Thabo Mbeki and Australian Prime
Minister John Howard, who is also
Commonwealth chairman and head of its
troika on Zimbabwe, are also being
consulted.
"Consultations are still going on and a final decision on
the issue will be
made in due course," a senior official at the Nigerian High
Commission in
Harare said. "Presidents Obasanjo and Mugabe are
talking."
Nigerian Foreign Affairs Director of International
Organisations Olusegun
Akinsanya said the Nigerian president was engaged in
consultations over
Mugabe's ban from Chogm.
Obasanjo said last
month that Mugabe would not be invited to the Abuja
meeting unless there was
a positive "sea change" in Zimbabwe.
However, Mbeki's spokesman,
Bheki Khumalo, said he was not aware of the
issue.
Mugabe has
since promised to make sweeping reforms of state institutions,
including the
Cabinet, in an attempt to get a Chogm invitation.
Last week, Mbeki
was in Canada and said the Zimbabwe crisis would be
resolved soon. This was
seen as an attempt to do Mugabe's bidding for an
invitation.
But
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Howard have openly threatened
to
boycott the meeting if Mugabe attends.
Howard, who has
described Mugabe an "unelected despot", said it would be a
"tragedy" to allow
the Zimbabwean leader to attend the Abuja meeting.
Queen Elizabeth,
the head of the Commonwealth, might also stay away if
Mugabe is allowed to
participate.
Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in March of last year.
It was stated that the country would not be readmitted
unless it adopted
fundamental democratic and electoral reforms, something it
has not yet done
and appears to have no intention of
doing.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said this week in
Brussels that
Harare's chances of having its suspension lifted were between
"slim and
none", because it was refusing to adopt reforms, while the
situation in the
country went from bad to worse.
Zimbabwe: Why we must be our brother's keeper
The Nation
(Nairobi)
COLUMN
November 16, 2003
Posted to the web November 16,
2003
Makau Mutua's Letter from New York
Nairobi
President
Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the long-term despot who last year was
declared
the victor in an unfair presidential election, is a disgrace to a
steadily
democratising Africa.
As Zimbabwe now teeters on the brink of chaos and
collapse, Mugabe must
resign to save the country from a total cataclysm. But
Morgan Tsvangirai and
his opposition Movement for Democratic Change must act
with maturity and
foresight if they hope to be a credible alternative to
Mugabe.
It is now futile and absurd for Mugabe to prolong his
stranglehold on power
on the pretext of last year's election. First, he must
terminate the
ridiculous treason charge against Tsvangirai. The flimsy
charge, whose
central claim is that Tsvangirai sought to eliminate him , is
unsupportable
and seeks to undermine the MDC. What matters now is not
fidelity to a stolen
election, but the future and stability of Zimbabwe.
Frankly, Mugabe must go.
Otherwise Zimbabwe will surely become another
Liberia, Congo, or Somalia.
The stolen election is but a tip of the
iceberg of Zimbabwe's tragedy. Since
1980, when Zimbabwe obtained its
independence from Britain, land has been
the bane of the country's political
stability. It is this burning issue that
Mugabe exploited and manipulated to
demagogue, dictate, and hijack his way
to another presidential
term.
In fact, Mugabe left no doubt in his campaign last year that he was
running
against Britain, the former colonial power, and white Zimbabweans -
who own
most of the arable land. Unfortunately, his empty victory has
exacerbated
the land crisis and deepened the country's political
quagmire.
Sadly for Zimbabwe and the West, the chickens have come home to
roost.
Britain and other Western powers promised, but never delivered,
urgently
needed financial assistance to buy white-owned farmlands and
re-allocate
them to black Africans. Predictably, many black African peasants
and former
freedom fighters expected that the political kingdom would be
accompanied by
the economic heaven. But 23 years later, land reform remains
an article of
despair. It is this wedge issue that Mugabe has deployed to
paradoxically
pit African nationalism against liberal political
democracy.
But even so, Mugabe bears the lion's share for his country's
collapse. Land
reform aside, he has mismanaged the economy and failed to spur
economic
growth. He has presided over a highly corrupt narrow band of
cronies. This
abominable dictatorship has led to massive unemployment,
incredible poverty
and open starvation. Where hope once reined, despair and
desperation are the
norm. As if these calamities were not enough, Zimbabwe's
military
involvement in the DRC - to help thwart Rwandese and Ugandan
aggression -
drained the state of its already meager resources. It is no
wonder that
Zimbabwe has descended into lawlessness.
It is these dire
conditions that framed the presidential election, and on
which Mugabe sought
to turn the tables on his opponents and deflect his
responsibility. In the
year leading up to the election, Mugabe encouraged -
and authorised - the
illegal militant invasions and occupation of
white-owned farmlands. Several
white farmers and dozens of black Africans
have been murdered in these
invasions. In this cruel ploy, Mugabe has
exploited a legitimate grievance by
using African nationalism as a weapon
against open political
competition.
Mugabe has not hesitated to neutralise and negate the
independent judiciary
when it has challenged and resisted his unlawful
actions. Some judges were
physically attacked, while others were sacked or
forced to resign.
Journalists and the press have been under relentless
attacks and expulsions.
Some have fled the country for fear of their safety.
Independent newspapers
have been bombed or attacked by mobs of ZANU-PF, the
ruling party. The
police and other security agencies have idly stood by or
encouraged these
bands of attackers. As a consequence, capital has fled and
foreign
investment dried up. Gloom and doom have taken their
place.
Within his government, Mugabe has stamped out any voice of reason.
Instead,
he relies on advice from maniacal cronies and sycophants. One of
those is
Prof Jonathan Moyo, the Minister for Information, and formerly a
respected
academic at the prestigious Wits University in South Africa.
Appropriately
backed by Zimbabwe's police band, Moyo recently released an
18-track CD in
which he celebrates the violent land-grabs. He apologises for
Mugabe's
demonic rule, and senselessly pits nationalism against democracy.
Few sights
are more disgusting than a pandering and compromised
academic.
It is the madness of Mugabe, and the terrible advice of
spineless academics
like Prof Moyo that fueled the rise and hope of
Tvsangirai, the trade
unionist, and the opposition MDC. In two years, the MDC
built a serious
organisation and became a real contender to replace ZANU-PF
as the ruling
party. But Tsvangirai and the MDC, while popular in the urban
areas, failed
to capture the imagination of many black Zimbabweans in the
rural
countryside, particularly on the question of land reform. Press reports
have
indicated that white farmers bankrolled Tsvangirai and the MDC. That,
and
his failure with the MDC to put forward a credible land reform package,
were
they to take power, did not inspire confidence. Nor did allegations that
he
had sought the "elimination" of Mugabe. Although spurious and
largely
meaningless, the circumstances that gave rise to the allegation seem
to
suggest lack of tact and a loose mouth by Tsvangirai.
But now the
question is what happens that Mugabe and his government have
completely
failed to govern. Mugabe - a much admired freedom fighter earlier
in his
rulership - is now a corrupt, decayed, and totally discredited
dictator.
Large segments of the domestic and international community,
including the
Commonwealth, have declared him illegitimate. Fearing an
implosion next door,
President Thabo Mbeki's democratic South Africa has
failed to pursue a clear,
muscular, and outspoken policy against Mugabe.
Although a bitter
disappointment to African democrats, the South African
position appears to be
driven by fears of its own land question. But Mbeki
cannot indefinitely sit
on the fence. He should sooner than later do the
right thing; in the process
he might figure out a solution to his own
looming land crisis.
But I
fear that a cornered Mugabe may be deadly and could resort to even
more
massive violence against the people. A catastrophic failure and
collapse of
Zimbabwe must be avoided at all cost. It would plunge the entire
southern
African region, which is emerging from decades of war and misrule,
into a
needless and fatal death trap.
It is clear to me that Mugabe does not
belong in the twenty-first century.
States that are committed to democracy,
like Kenya, owe Mugabe nothing. That
is why we must consider withdrawing our
ambassador from Harare to protest
Mugabe's impermissible dictatorship. Kenya
should lead an exodus of African
states out of Zimbabwe. Since South Africa
is shy to resolutely lead on this
issue, Kenya ought to pick up the mantle.
The dominoes might then fall and
cause Mugabe to exit.
Donor
nations, including the United Nations, must then work with Zimbabwe to
craft
a fair and workable land reform program. Action must be taken now
before
Zimbabwe enters the door of "no return." This is a big test for the
new
African Union to engage in preventive work. Otherwise, the New
Partnership
for Africa's Development and the AU will be no more than old
wine in new
bottles. Rather than sing a requiem to Zimbabwe, let us be our
brother's
keeper.
Makau Mutua is Professor of Law at the State University of New
York at
Buffalo and Chair of the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
16 Nov 2003 16:01 GMT
Nigerian Leader To Talk To Mugabe On
Commonwealth Mtg
Copyright © 2003, Dow Jones Newswires
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)--Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo is to meet
on Monday with President Robert Mugabe to discuss
Zimbabwe's exclusion from
next month's meeting of the Commonwealth of Britain
and its former colonies,
the state newspaper reported Sunday.
Zimbabwe, whose human rights record has been criticized by the
international
community, hasn't been invited to the Dec. 5-8 meeting in
Nigeria. There is
concern that Mugabe's presence could split the 54-nation
grouping, the
government-controlled Sunday Mail reported.
The southern African
country has been suspended by Commonwealth
councils, but not the group
itself, since disputed and violent March 2002
presidential elections. Mugabe,
79, has been the country's only leader since
independence in
1980.
Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon and Australian
Prime
Minister John Howard have repeatedly slammed Mugabe and called for
the
country's continued expulsion.
Speaking on condition of
anonymity, a western diplomat said Obasanjo
was coming to Harare because he
"wanted to explain to Mugabe personally the
reason he was not
invited."
The Sunday Mail speculated that a last-minute invitation
might still
be extended.
"The African Union is so united that it
has taken the position 'there
is no Africa without Zimbabwe,"' the state
paper said.
AU and Southern African Development Community states
have declined to
condemn Zimbabwe's human rights record.
Zimbabwe is in the midst of political and economic crisis, with
70%
unemployment and acute shortages of food, gasoline and medicine. A
state
program to seize thousands of white-owned farms for redistribution to
blacks
has crippled its agriculture-based economy.
On Sunday, an
opposition legislator, Roy Bennett, said armed men
attacked his coffee farm
on Saturday in what he believed to be an attempt to
claim the land for the
government. He said one worker was badly injured at
his farm in Chimanimani,
700 kilometers southeast of the capital, Harare.
Police officials
at headquarters in Harare weren't available for
comment on the
incident.
News24
Zim seize travellers' cash
16/11/2003 15:57 -
(SA)
Lusaka - Zimbabwean border police have started confiscating
foreign currency
from Zambians passing through the country, a Zambian
newspaper reported
Sunday.
In the latest incident, a bus traveling
through Zimbabwe en route to South
Africa was stopped near Bulawayo, the
Sunday Post reported.
Border police searched passengers on the bus and
confiscated large sums of
South African rands, US dollars, Botswana pula and
Namibian dollars.
One Zambian passenger who rides the bus regularly told
the Post that the
bags were searched and items inside were thrown out on the
ground. Some
students were left stranded at the border after having all their
cash
confiscated.
The report said police explained they were acting
under instruction from the
Zimbabwean Reserve Bank. People received receipts
with a serial number and a
Zimbabwe government stamp if their money was
confiscated.
Zimbabwe's high commissioner to Zambia, Cain Mathema, said
he had not heard
of any such reports.
News24
Zim police to protect tourists
16/11/2003 13:30 -
(SA)
Harare - Visitors to troubled Zimbabwe are to get special police
protection
under a government plan to "restore confidence" in the southern
African
country as a tourist destination, the state-owned Sunday Mail
reported.
A special tourism police unit is to be set up "aimed at
increasing the
safety of tourists in all the country's tourist destinations",
the newspaper
said.
Amid worsening economic hardships in Zimbabwe,
foreign tourists have
increasingly been targeted by local
criminals.
Robberies involving tourists have claimed two lives this year,
with an
Australian killed in the world-famous Victoria Falls resort in
January and a
young South African tourist shot dead in the second city of
Bulawayo in
June.
"The need to set up a tourist police unit will
restore confidence in the
country's tourist industry," Paul Matamisa of the
Zimbabwe Council for
Tourism said.
He noted that: "In the past crimes
committed against our foreign guests
failed to go through the courts in time
as the tourists ... often returned
to their countries before the cases were
finalised."
Tourism was once one of Zimbabwe's main foreign currency
earners, but income
are reported to have declined tenfold since the start of
a controversial
land reform programme three years ago.
The authorities
say Zimbabwe is the victim of a hostile media campaign and
have recently
launched a number of initiatives aimed at reviving the
country's image as a
world-class holiday destination.
Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)
Salary disparities reach alarming levels
By
Morris Mkwate
THE gap between the country’s rich and poor has reached
alarming levels with
top chief executives earning as much as $28 million a
month while mail
distribution clerks earn as low as $66 000 a month,
according to a report by
a reputable human resource company.
A survey
by LoriMak Holdings carried out for the month of October 2003 shows
that some
top chief executives are earning $28 million each a month,
including
benefits, while workers are earning salaries far below the poverty
datum line
at $66 000. The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe has pegged the
poverty datum
line for a family of six at $470 000 a month.
A survey by The Sunday Mail
shows that the salary disparities have resulted
in sharp differences in
shopping patterns in the local supermarkets where a
few are seen pushing
trolley-loads of groceries while the majority struggle
to get one affordable
item from the shelves.
Chief executives contacted for comment over the
issue either declined to
talk or were just evasive.
The president of
the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe, Mr Michael Bimha,
said he could not
confirm the figures cited in the report. He, however, said
the lower figure
may not show the total package as non-salary items may not
have been included
in the $66 000.
He said things like canteen facilities and other payments
to assist workers
with transport may not have been included in the $66
000.
He, however, said there were a lot of factors that went into
determining a
salary. One of the factors was the need to retain skills and
some such
skills had to be retained against competing packages from
neighbouring
countries like South Africa and Botswana.
He said it was
not a correct approach for companies to increase salaries or
for workers to
go to management each time there was an increase in the cost
of
living.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, deputy secretary-general, Mr
Collin Gwiyo
said the salary differences were a major concern and urged the
Government to
step up efforts to contain the country’s high
inflation.
Mr Gwiyo also urged the Government to reduce taxation on
low-income earners
in order to cushion them from the escalating cost of
living.
"The reason why some people are earning such high salaries is
because they
are the ones who control the industry.
"The idea is not
to antagonise the means of production but to make sure that
the lowest paid
employee receives at least something above the poverty
datum
line.
"The employer has the obligation to pay employees better
salaries while that
of Government is to reduce taxation in order to increase
the take-home pay,"
said Mr Gwiyo.
The report said most sectors have
reviewed their salaries four times this
year and that executives, in various
sectors, received a cumulative increase
of 212 percent this year
alone.
The purpose of the survey is to provide management of different
companies
with information from which they can make informed decisions on
their
employees’ remuneration in line with market trends.
LoriMak
Holdings chief executive officer Mr Richard Makoni said inflation is
the main
factor influencing salary reviews.
Mr Makoni said the company’s
performance and management’s perception of an
employee’s value also determine
salaries.
Other factors include local market pay levels and recruitment
and retention
concerns.
Chief executive officers mostly in the
financial services sector are earning
a base salary of between $19 million
and $27,4 million. The range shoots to
between $23,8 million and $33 million
when taxable benefits are included.
Chief operating officers or managing
directors working on a national level
are receiving between $13,8 million and
$19,6 million.
The amounts range between $16,7 million and $24 million
when benefits are
included.
The survey also revealed that a chief
administrative officer falls into the
$11,4 million and $16 million range
while general managers are earning
between $6,6 million and $10
million.
Most chief accountants and divisional finance managers are
earning between
$6,3 million and $16 million while a grade one accounts clerk
earns between
$736,190 and $1 million.
Heads of commercial banking
sectors receive basic salaries of up to $14
million while those in corporate
banking earn between $7 million and $12,5
million.
The prices of basic
commodities and transport costs have been escalating
over a long time. This
has resulted in most of those in the low income
bracket failing to
cope.
Rangarirai, a security guard with a local security company who
earns a basic
salary of $76 000 said he was planning to resign from his job
at the end of
this month since he can longer cope with the high cost of
living.
Others are taking advantage of the land redistribution programme
to start
new lives in the rural areas where life is more bearable. By working
the
land they can earn much more than they can ever earn in the cities.
Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)
Bogus farmer organisations
rapped
Chief Reporter: Emilia Zindi
THE Minister of
Special Affairs in the President’s Office, Cde John
Nkomo, has challenged
farmers’ organisations to come up with constructive
programmes that will
benefit the newly resettled farmers.
This comes in the wake of
reports that scores of organisations
purporting to represent farmers are
mushrooming throughout the country.
Cde Nkomo said the Government
was worried at the rate at which new
farmers’ organisations were
mushrooming.
Some of the organisations were allegedly charging
exorbitant
membership fees while no benefits accrued to the
farmers.
"Genuine farmers’ organisations should be seen to be
advocating the
progress of new farmers. They should actually be promoting
projects that
complement Government effort to empower the new
farmers.
"We wonder if resources channelled through some such
organisations to
the farmers do get down to the intended beneficiaries," said
Cde Nkomo.
Leaders of some unions are being accused of enriching
themselves at
the expense of members.
Allegations have been made
for instance that some leaders are
allocating themselves farming equipment
sourced through their respective
unions while ordinary members are left
out.
Many farmers in remote areas were easily left out, as they did
not
have adequate information on the activities of their respective
unions.
Allocation of fuel meant for members had in most cases
landed in the
hands of "big guys" in the leadership of the unions at the
expense of the
general membership, farmers alleged.
So far
registered farmers’ organisations which are recognised are the
Indigenous
Commercial Farmers’ Union (ICFU), Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union (ZFU)
and the
Commercial Farmers’ Union.
ICFU representative Mr Flavian
Charumbira said his organisation
charged a membership of $50 000 per
year.
This was recently increased from $20 000. Zimbabwe Farmers’
Union
vice-president Mr Wilfanos Mashi-ngaidze, who is also chairman of
the
Tobacco Growers’ Trust (TGT), said his organisation had striven to
assist
members throughout the country.
He said the ZFU
membership fee was only $5 000 per year.
Besides accessing fuel at
affordable prices, members were also
benefiting under the input scheme in
which they were accessing fertilisers
and chemicals at affordable
prices.
Some were allocated tractors while others would soon
benefit once the
second batch of tractors was in the country.
While there was an outcry on the first scheme of tractors in which
the
leadership was accused of allocating their friends, relatives or "chefs"
in
government, Mr Mashingaidze said it was not possible for every member to
get
a tractor at the same time. However, documents in the hands of The
Sunday
Mail showing fuel allocation to farmers showed that in some instances,
a
single farmer was allocated 20 000 litres on a single invoice.
Another farmer was allocated 16 000 litres on the same day.
Just
223 tractors were imported under a scheme where 750 tractors were
supposed to
be procured.
The tractors were sold to members at prices between
$1,7 million for a
60 horsepower and $5,4 million for a 100
horsepower.
On the open market tractors cost between $40 and $80
million
Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)
Chihuri comes down hard on justice
system
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Zimbabwe criminal justice system is
weak and corrupt, giving courage and
audacity to white-collar criminals who
have caused perennial haemorrhage to
the country’s economy, Police
Commissioner Augustine Chihuri has said.
Greed and corruption have also
crept into society as Government pushes
frontiers to economically empower the
majority, he said.
Speaking at a function for senior officers in Bulawayo
last night, Cde
Chihuri said the criminal justice system was being
manipulated by money
mongers at the expense of the general public and the
State.
He called for an overhaul of the criminal justice system if
the
manifestation of a haven for the lazy, the corrupt and the incompetent
was
to be avoided.
"Our situation in Zimbabwe has not been helped
either by the weak and
corrupt prosecution system, which gives courage and
audacity to white-collar
criminals who, on the grounds of greediness and
selfishness, have caused
perennial haemorrhage to our economy.
"The
bail conditions and sentences given to these shameless offenders at
the
courts are not in any way comparable to the gravity of the
offences
committed.
"It is a major blow to the nation that the
criminal justice system is being
manipulated by money mongers at the expense
of the general public and the
State," said Cde Chihuri.
He said the
law governing the process of bail had been so abused that it
lost its
relevance and touched off an advocacy for non-granting of bail for
specified
crimes in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). The police then bore
the brunt
of having to re-arrest fugitive criminals let off the hook by
the
courts.
"It is a disgrace to see lawyers pacing up and down the
High Court chambers
and police corridors by night, demanding the production
of high profile
criminals before even statements have been
granted.
"Personal interest should not take precedence over national
interest if our
criminal justice system is to remain robust and reputable
among our
citizens," said the Police Commissioner.
Cde Chihuri said it
was sad to note that as the Government continued to push
the frontiers of
economic emancipation to the majority of the people, the
element of
greediness has equally crept into the society, with astounding
and
far-reaching ramifications on the economy.
Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)
Ratepayers set to fork out four times
more
Metro Editor
THE CITY of Harare yesterday presented a $11 149
trillion budget for 2004
with 72 percent of it going to the city’s water
treatment account.
The 2004 Harare budget will see rates and other
service charges increasing
four-fold during the course of the year in what
acting city treasurer Mr
Cosmas Zvikaramba, at an earlier meeting with
stakeholders, said was a
response to the hyper-inflationary environment the
country is currently
experiencing.
The revenue budget for water
amounted to $815 billion and Town Clerk Mr
Nomutsa Chideya said the bulk of
the amount would go towards the purchasing
of water treatment chemicals whose
prices are expected to continue soaring
during the year.
Total
expenditure was pegged at $105 billion.
Provision and treatment of water,
which of late has been causing ulcers to
both council and city officials has
been budgeted for $815 billion plus
another $52 billion being set up in the
capital budget for the upgrading and
replacement of water treatment
equipment.
Funds from the $52 billion capital budget would also be used
in the
replacement and repair of sewerage treatment equipment.
Water
charges for Harare residents would be $470 for the first 10 cubic
metres in
January, $940 in April and $3 760 per cubic metre by October
2004.
Residents of Norton, Chitungwiza and Ruwa would in January pay $3
952, April
$9 840, July $15 000 and October 2004 pay $31 316 per cubic
metre.
Residents and authorities from these towns have accused Harare
City Council
of charging unfairly high charges to them.
Council
attributed these high charges to the fact that the city had to
recover its
costs as it would cost it $2 900 per cubic metre to treat, store
and
distribute it to these towns.
Ambulance fees would be hiked to $12 000 in
January, $18 000 in April, $27
000 in July and $42 000 in October 2004, while
consultation fees at
municipal clinics would go up to $2 500 in January, $3
800 in April and $5
200 in October.
Bus entry fees at Mbare Musika had
been hiked to $30 000 in January, $45 000
in April and $70 000 in October,
while light vehicle registration fees had
been hiked from $2 050 per year to
$48 000 with heavy vehicles paying $196
000.
Parking fees would now be
pegged at $4 370 half an hour while one hour will
be $5 830. Two hours will
be $10 200. Monthly charges will be $582 700.
Commuter rank fees will
change from $17 500 to $364 175 per term.
Metered taxis will pay $728 350
per term up from $35 000.
First division teams would in January pay $66
800, April $116 900, July $175
350 and October $263 025 for use of Rufaro
Stadium on Sundays and public
holidays, while PSL, ZIFA and international
matches would attract in January
$100 000, April $175 000, July $262 500 and
October $393 750.The proposed
increases are likely to bring more suffering to
the city’s residents who are
grappling to cope with other increases in the
cost of basic food stuffs and
transport.
School fees and hospital
charges have also risen steeply forcing other
families with meagre earnings
to relegate their children to rural areas
where life is considerably cheaper.
Most families are already making do with
tradional meals to beat rising food
prices.
From ZWNEWS, 16 November
Treatment denied
One of the
workers from Charleswood Estate who were severely beaten
yesterday morning
was denied medical treatment.. Workers on the farm, which
is owned by
opposition MP Roy Bennett, were attacked with rifle butts and
planks of wood,
with one man being particularly severely injured. However,
the police and
armed civilians who had attacked the workers refused to allow
him to be
removed from the farm for treatment until much later on Saturday,
when he was
finally taken to Mutare for treatment. The armed civilians, said
to be
employees of ARDA, a government agricultural agency, were lead by a
Mr
Zvinoira, who said he had been sent by the governor of Manicaland
province
to take over the farm. The police were lead by Sgt Nasho and
Chanunorwa
Muusha of Chimanimani police. Sgt Nasho is currently facing
criminal
proceedings relating to previous violent incidents on the
farm.