COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION
INFORMATION ROOM
FARM INVASIONS UPDATE
- 28 APRIL 2000
Outcome of the meeting between the CFU appointed
Negotiating Team
(Messrs Swanepoel, Heyns and Henderson) and the leader of
the war vets
(Dr. Hunzvi):
As reported by the BBC at 1:00 p.m.
today, an agreement was reached that
all violence and interference with
"on-farm procedures' would be
stopped. This includes "provocation" by farmers
on war vets. Farmers
were to be encouraged to plant winter crops and proceed
with land
preparation, irrigation etc. The vets would however be allowed to
stay
on the farms until the negotiations deal with the specific issue of
land
for the redistribution programme. This will be dealt with in the
context
of the availability of resources and the return to the rule of law.
REGIONAL REPORTS
Mashonaland Central
The relatively
quiet tone since the weekend has continued in the last
24hrs up to lunch time
today. There has been a notable upsurge in police
acivity in the Bindura
District, where there have been several arrests
in relation to the backlog of
assault charges. Generally there is a
buildup of numbers, so the area remains
vigilant.
- There were 2 'rallies' in Centenary, on Clear Morning Farm
and Chikale
Farm. One worker has gone missing, but it is suspected that he
has gone
underground.
- Most of the Mvurwi farmers who evacuated
after the Forrester incident
over the weekend have returned and a dialogue
team is making progress in
stabilising the area. The group that gathered at
Govete Farm yesterday
have returned to their 'base' at Forrester Estate. It
was a quiet night
in the area.
- In Glendale, there was a new
invasion this morning by a group of about
30 on Chadwick Farm, but it has
been peaceful to date. The Glendale area
is expecting a lot of activity, but
the tone seems to be relatively
peaceful.
- In Mutepatepa there was a
hostile invasion yesterday. The owner is on
leave and the manager vacated,
but work has not been disrupted.
- In Shamva, war vets are preventing
cotton pickers coming to the farms
from Bushu Communal area.
- The
Mazowe/Concession area has been quiet, but there is a rally,
officiated by
Governor Gezi, in progress this afternoon at Pearson Farm.
Although work is
in progress the farmer and his family have not been
able to return home for 3
weeks.
- In Harare West, there has been an influx of invaders on Oldbury
Farm
and a new invasion on Calgary Farm. Tractors and vehicles have
been
commandeered from Oldbury Farm to ferry invaders.
Mashonaland
West North
Below is a clarification of the events which took place on
Charara
Estates earlier this week:
On Tuesday 25 May there was
arrival on Charara Estate of Rex Jesus, 7
war veterans, some 40 youth
league/Zanu PF supporters and 8 MDC
supporters abducted from Nyamahunga
Township. Rex Jesus summoned the
workers and proceeded to violently assault
the 8 MDC supporters that
they had brought from Nyamahunga. These persons
were held down by their
hands and feet and repeatedly beaten with sticks.
These assaults
continued for approximately one hour, being witnessed by the
full labour
force who were made to chant party slogans and shout their
support for
the Party.
En route back to Kariba, one male adult, a
local ZESA employee, died as
a result of the injuries sustained and on
arrival at Nyamahunga Business
Centre, his body was displayed on the verandah
of the local shop. An
ambulance was summoned to carry away the other injured.
One woman
seriously beaten was not expected to survive the night.
One
of the Charara farm guards had died before transport could be
arranged to
take him to hospital. Five other labourers were seriously
injured and others
required medical treatment. A total of 18 persons
were hospitalised; 3 on
oxygen and in a critical condition. A total of
17 persons were arrested at
approximately midnight on Tuesday by a
police special unit (I was told)
called in from Makuti.
There was a new invasion in Karoi today, and a
total of four work
stoppages in the region plus massive wheat stoppages. One
cow was
slaughtered and serious poaching is ongoing.
Mashonaland East
District Task Force appears to be working well in most of the
region
after a meeting in Wedza yesterday.
At a meeting held in
Enterprise today, however, there was no positive
outcome to the request that
farmers be allowed to "farm peacefully".
There are still work stoppages and
obstructive confrontations. The
problem originates from a Harare-based group
of war vets, who are
struggling for dominance with the resident vets.
Matabeleland
After a meeting this morning, farmers have decided
not to return to
their farms this weekend. They will meet again next week to
review the
situation. The region has been quiet otherwise.
Masvingo
There was a serious intimidation on Northdale Farm (Hannes Jovner)
in
Chatsworth, which has has since been defused.
There were two new
invasions in Mwenezi.
Midlands
This region has been generally
quiet. Midlands is still under orange
alert, but this will be reviewed soon.
Manicaland
There was a tense situation on Koos de Klerk's
property this morning,
which has since been defused.
Mashonaland West
South
Quiet today.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
The Human
Rights Forum which is a grouping of Human Rights Organisations
in Zimbabwe
has approached The National Employment Council for the
Agricultural Industry
to help them establish the full extent of human
rights violations in the
commercial farming sector in Zimbabwe. What is
being sought is as much
information as possible on human rights
violations. In this connection we
would kindly request that victims of
human rights abuses complete or get
someone else to complete the
attached form. Please note that if victims,
farmers or farm workers
would like to remain anonymous that is perfectly in
order and if there
are some questions that can not be answered then that
should not
dissuade people from completing the form.
Completed forms
should please be sent to either The National Employment
Council for the
Agricultural Industry P O Box WGT 312, Westgate, Harare
or to the
Agricultural Labour Bureau, P O Box WGT 390, Westgate, Harare.
Assistance in this project would be greatly appreciated.
HUMAN
RIGHTS VIOLATION REPORT
VICTIM
NAME
.....................
I.D. Number ....................
ADDRESS
....................
..........................
PHONE
.....................
Next of Kin
...................
PERPETRATOR/S
NAME/DESCRIPTION (e.g.) War
Veteran, Political Party, ZRP, etc.)
..........................
(Male/Female, Age, Height, Scars)
............................
.........................
(Dress)
......................
(Weapons) ...................
(Numbers)
...................
INCIDENT
DATE ................
TIME
(am/pm) ............
PLACES (Details)
................................
INCIDENT DESCRIPTION (detail)
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INJURY
TO VICTIM
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DAMAGE
TO PROPERTY
...........................
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REPORTED
TO: (E.G. farmer, ZRP, NEC Agriculture, CFU,
GAPWUZ)
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ACTION
TAKEN (e.g. Police Statement, Hospital, Funeral
arrangement)
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Witness
Names
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Addresses
...................................
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Ewen
Rodger
For and on behalf of
The National Employment Council for
the Agricultural Industry
ACCOMMODATION
Pauline Fromer,
guesthouse in Cape Town
floreal@yebo.co.za
Tel: 0027 21
465-6259,
Fax: 0027 21 461-1365
- - -
Meredith Eaton has
room for about 8 in Alexander Park
Tel: 744995 (res) or Cell: 091 313571
- - -
Any farmers wanting to send their children to school in
the USA or just
wanting to get away, contact Peter and Michelle Vinall,
British
Columbia.
Tel: 360-332-8190
rsgoldens@aol.com
End