COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION
FARM INVASIONS UPDATE
16 MAY 2000
In the past, incidents occurring in the area with regards to land
invasions have not been fully reported to the local Police. As from now
the Police have requested that all new incidents are reported to the
local Police Station for them to be able to react. It is important that
details are attached and reported on specific people that are causing
trouble in the area, so that Police can react on those specific people.
AGAIN! please check weapon licences. No automatic weapons should have
licences. If you have an automatic weapon (e.g. FN. type) please recheck
that this licence is valid as some false licences have been found, and
by law no automatic weapons of this nature are legal. If you find
yourself in this position, please be safe and hand the weapon in to the
nearest Police Station, get a receipt for it and clarify the position as
soon as possible.
Any new invasions, please, must be reported to your Police Station, not
just to CFU Harare or your Regional office.
According to reports, some arrests are now taking place in particularly
bad areas. This is a welcome development, and we hope that the Police
are now being able to carry out their duties effectively. This is
according to the Taskforce at CFU, and we need to be kept informed of
this ongoing process. Over the weekend there were a further 26 new
invasions.
REGIONAL REPORTS
Masvingo
Chiredzi - Invaders are moving off Malilangwe Ranch. There is a lot of
house building on Crown Ranch. On Oscro Ranch there has been a further
invasion into a new area where they are erecting shelters. On Wasara
Ranch there are large numbers of people gathering at the local farm
store. On Faversham Ranch the game scouts have received written death
threats from the war veterans. On Samba Ranch there is a build up of
people.
Masvingo East/Central - Generally peaceful although the situation in
Masvingo East Road is being monitored. A security guard in town has
received threats and has taken precautions.
Save Conservancy - 60 war vets are reported to have come onto the
northern parts of the conservancy. They have been brought in by this
truck that was reported yesterday. Dave Goosen has reported this via the
German Embassy and has made contact with Vice President Msika. He has
assured that the Government is doing all that it can concerning this
issue.
Gutu/Chatsworth, Mashava, Mwenezi - quiet.
Mashonaland Central
Centenary - The invaders on Hereford turned nasty demanding food and
threatening the farmer. The family was chased into the house and the
police escorted them off to a neighbour. They took their weapons with
them and the rumour on the ground is that they were arrested for illegal
possession of arms. They have been instructed by the war vets not to
return to the homestead and accused the farmer of threatening them with
weapons. Pegging has commenced on Westbury Farm. A group moved from
Wistlefield to Chikali and demanded that the farmer move out of his
house. After negotiations it was agreed that they would take over the
Farm Manager's house. They are demanding large amounts of food and
beer. Chiripiro Farm have had their land pegged and demands for food.
Horseshoe - Two farmers have been moved off their farms as a
precautionary measure since their names were mentioned at a ZANU PF
rally.
Victory Block - Sanford Farm had a vehicle commandeered and demands for
food. They are encroaching into the Mvurwi area upsetting the resident
war vets.
Mvurwi - More labour were beaten up on Four Streams Farm during the
night. The invaders were told to move off Forrester Estates, but have
not done so yet and the farmer has still not returned to the farm.
Tsatsi - Zanadu Farm had an all night ZANU PF rally with youths and
labour from neighbouring farms. Cairnsmore Farm have signed over half
of their farm to the war vets. Goodhope/Palmer has signed over their
farm Oakwood to the war vets.
Mtepatepa - The invaders on Granta Farm have split up and moved off to
Cowley Farm, Dunkerry and Tara.
Shamva - Robin Hood Farm is having a hard time with war vets demanding
compensation for clothing and food lost when they were moved off the
farm a few weeks ago. The owner of Kingston Farm returned to find +/-
40 communal farmers cutting down trees and building shacks. A vehicle
carrying 2 war vets and 12 youths wielding machetes and knobkerries in
ZANU PF T-shirts then arrived with the police in tow and chased them
off, stating they were not allowed to invade this farm. A sentry was
left at the turn-off to monitor the situation. Rutherdale Farm had a
work stoppage.
Mazowe - Fairview Farm had a break-in where his vehicle was stolen and
subsequently recovered, but the house was cleaned out. This is believed
to be a criminal element using the situation to their advantage. Berea
Farm had a new group of war vets arrive in 2 vehicles, initially
hostile, but after discussions moved off.
Harare West / Nyabira - Hayden Farm had a revisit of a large number of
war vets from Harare.
Mashonaland East
Macheke/Virginia - Very quiet at the moment.
Enterprise/Ruwa - Enterprise Club grounds invaded this morning. Apart
from a lot of movement farm to farm the situation is reasonably calm in
Enterprise and Ruwa today.
Marondera South - Malaba Farm: A group of 6 arrived yesterday and
promised to come back and peg the next door farm as they were under the
impression that the two farms were one. Otherwise the area seems to be
fairly quiet and there are no more reports of violence for the time
being.
Marondera North - The communal area youths that border with the
Marondera North are beating people severely but have not crossed on to
commercial farming land yet. There is an element of criminal activity
coming across the borders though. There was more pegging on Meandu and
Riversmead. The district taskforce has been called in to deal with these
problems.
Featherstone - There was an increase of activity and pegging on Allan
Dunn's farm through the afternoon yesterday. There is a meeting with the
War Vets this afternoon.
Harare South/Beatrice - There was a meeting with the taskforce and
Propol. Unfortunately the main War Vets who are issuing death threats
were not present at this meeting. The Officer in Charge has insisted
that there be law and order in the area. He has boosted the local Member
In Charge's role and insisted that he go out and ensure he carry's out
his role in the area with more enthusiasm. On Wednesday there is an
in-house meeting for the War Vets to reorganise and get and establish
their taskforce as it was all in a shambles with no leadership.
Another death threat was put on someone who owns a store in the area. No
details as yet.
Wedza - Brentwater: War Vet Chirinda left a letter for her saying that
they had taken her farm and had started pegging out the farm. Dean: The
War Vets took 8 of the labour and have started pegging areas to move on
to. Lifton: The guards were taken to the compound last night and beaten
for arresting people who had been stealing maize and because they were
private guards. The incident was reported to the police but they have
said that they cannot act because the guards cannot identify their
assailants.
Mashonaland West (North)
Raffingora - most of the problems are in Raffingora. The pickup from
Mvurachena Farm was commandeered. There was a work stoppage on Mwala
Oyera. Invaders moved onto Hovera Farm and have asked workers to go to
Mvurachena for re-education. Katawa Farm was invaded and demanded the
use of a vehicle. Three pickups in the area have now been commandeered.
While cruising around they assaulted the foreman of Nyarapinda Farm.
Chinhoyi - There were some new invasions today - Sheepridge Farm,
Marnette Farm. There is a professional intimidator called Manenga who
has been convicted many times for selling land which is not his.
Doma - On Mcherengi Farm there are now two factions - some from the
Guruve area and some from the farm compound who have been turned against
the farmer. They are demanding all except 15 hectares of the farm,
which they say the owner can keep.
Karoi - A new invasion on Elka Ranch.
Tengwe - Land prep is being prevented on five properties.
Banket, Trelawney and Darwendale are all quiet.
Mashonaland West (South)
In Norton the showdown between Mrs. Rusike and Parklands Farm
continues. The manager tried to get permission from Mrs. Rusike to
plant today but she has responded by sending another letter to the other
manager telling him to go back to Portugal. The manager met with Mrs.
Rusike today and she evidently spoke to Sabina Mugabe who confirmed that
she was doing the right thing by stopping the planting. After the
threats the manager has had to move off the property as well.
In Selous pressure was put on a farmer to sign part of his farm over.
He was told that if he did not do this they would take his whole farm
anyway.
In Chakari on Rondor Farm the War Veterans questioned an employee for
some time, believing him to be an MDC supporter. They threatened to
assault him and told other workers to stop work. However the situation
was resolved after the War Veterans realised that the employee was not
an MDC supporter.
Matabeleland
Nothing to report at the time of writing.
Midlands
Nothing to report at the time of writing.
Manicaland
Chimanimani - Border Timbers Sawmill has been invaded. Charter Sawmill
has also been invaded. There have been some assaults to labourers, the
Member In Charge has been threatened and there is lots of unrest in the
compound. A truckload of invaders has gone into the compound and they
have put rocks across the Skyline Road.