COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION
INFORMATION ROOM
FARM INVASIONS UPDATE
- 12 MAY 2000
The Task Force met with President Robert Mugabe this
morning to put
forward their concerns about violence and damage. The
President has
reiterated that this is to stop and has indicated that his
Ministers
will be involved to curb this violence.
REGIONAL
REPORTS
Mashonaland Central
Centenary: Demands for food and
accommodation continue and war vets have
moved into the manager's house at
Westbury.
Horseshoe: All quiet although there has been some movement in
the area.
Victory Block: Generally quiet and no confrontation of
farmers; requests
for transport have been granted.
Mvurwi: Quiet
today, but there is still a presence on some farms and
requests for food and
transport continue (the majority of which have so
far been
refused).
Tsatsi: Thomas Majuru was in the area yesterday and had a list
of
farms/portions of farms wanted. The area is quiet so far
today.
Glendale: Chirobi, Norfolk and Bemersyde farms were revisited
yesterday
and the area is quiet today.
Mutepatepa/Bindura: The
situations at Chiveri and Condwelani have been
resolved and work has been
allowed to continue.
Shamva: War vets have asked the owner of Robin Hood
Estates for $1.4
million to replace "lost property", which he has already
replaced, as
well as for video footage of them of which he is supposedly
in
possession.
Mazowe/Concession: War vets went to Raffeen Farm and
informed the
foreman that they were going to impound farm vehicles and that
the owner
was to collect them from the Police Station in exchange for his
farm,
but the owner is not at the farm at the moment.
Harare
West/Nyabira: Haydon Farm was invaded and pegged yesterday and
Stableford and
PGS were revisited.
Harare: 3 people visited the National Sheep &
Goat Abbattoir asking who
owners are and if they could have free meat. They
forced workers'
families to go to PGS where they were made to sing. The three
returned
to Stapleford.
Mashonaland East
Bromley/Ruwa/Enterprise -
There were three more invasions today and
demands on one farm have continued.
On another property an onion thief
was claiming to be a war veteran and was
beaten in front of the labour
force as an example of the war veterans
discipline.
Harare South/Beatrice - Last night there was an armed
robbery at
Nyachidze Farm belonging to John Weeks, Beatrice. Mr Weeks was
shot in
the abdomen and is in intensive care, but will be alright. One of
the
thiefs was shot by Mr Weeks and managed to escape in a vehicle with
the
other four men.
Mashonaland West South
Norton - The owner of
Parklands has received a letter telling him that
no farming operations can
continue and that he must leave the the
country. His labourers were told that
the war vets will be doing land
prep with the Parklands tractors and drivers
on Kintyre Estate. Last
night the labour were shown that the invaders'
weapons work and shots
were fired. A tractor driver was abducted for some
time but he is
unharmed.
Selous - Wicklow Farm was invaded
yesterday. The owner was absent but
heard about it. On his way back he
happened to see the local MP, who
promised he would send some Zanu (PF)
people to sort the problem out.
When they arrived they started to assault
the invaders but the farmers
intervened.
Chegutu - There is
evidently a group of approximately fifty re-invading
Lions Vlei Farm.
Chakari - A group of approximately 30 moved on to Balwearie
Farm.
Numbers have increased to 160 on Blackmore Vale farm.
Kadoma -
A miner who works for a international Italian mining concern
has had a death
threat.
Midlands
Nothing serious to
report.
Masvingo
Save Conservancy - Problems continue with large
numbers of war veterans
on properties, some war veterans are still occupying
safari camps. Game
Scouts are being given a hard time by war veterans. The
war vets have
indicated that they will not adhere to the governor or
Hunzvi.
Masvingo Central and East - The situation on Lothian farm is
still tense
and threatening.
Mwenezi - Massive political violence
reported from Maranda and Matibi 1
communal areas, over the weekend.
Hospitals and clinic very busy. 3
schools closed this week.
Chiredzi
- Ranchers and war vets waited in vain for Task Force to
address them on 9
May after their visit to Mutare, but this never
happened. On the 10th, the
Governor addressed a meeting of about 350
people and 20 farmers (where the
Task Force were due to talk). His
address included allowing fences to be
repaired and to allow
unrestricted tourism and hunting to continue. His
presentation also
included the land issue and political
aspects.
Mashonaland West North
Banket - Land preparation being
prevented on one property, the war vets
are pegging the area for a centre
pivot.
Lions Den - Threats continue on one farmer to close down
business
Doma -Three farms still cannot establish wheat and one new
invasion in
the area.
Chinhoyi - Wheat stoppages, land preparation for
tobacco, seed bed
production and tomato work has been affected on some
farms.
Some farmers have had to move cattle off their
properties.
Trelawney/Darwendale - All quiet
Karoi - War vets are
still demanding land. War vets demanded to search
one of the houses for arms
and assaults continue on labour.
Ryding school is still closed, meeting
being held at 10:30 today.
Matabeleland
Invasions have continued and
we expect more invasions over the weekend.
Manicaland
A few new
invasions have occurred today in the Mutare area.