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Home | ZimCrisis#140 -- CFU Farm Invasion Report, August 22nd

Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 10:50:28 -0700
To: "Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List":;
From: Zimbabwe Crisis
Subject: ZimCrisis#140 -- CFU Farm Invasion Report, August 22nd


COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION

FARM INVASIONS UPDATE

TUESDAY 22 AUGUST 2000


SUMMARY OF EVENTS REPORTED ON FARMS FOR THE WEEK 15-21 AUGUST 2000

Invasions (new and revisits) - 34
Work stoppages (mainly tobacco) - 89
Unofficial eviction notices - 8
Poaching incidences on farms - 23
Animals killed (livestock and game) - 69
Cases of theft on farms - 16
Properties with hut building - 43
Properties with tree cutting - 57
Cases of abductions on farms - 3
Assaults on farms - 14
Veld fires on farms - 11
Intimidation or threats on farms - 28

Since the elections, 680 properties have been affected by farm occupations.


REGIONAL REPORTS


MASHONALAND CENTRAL

Centenary - The owner of Ashford Farm has received a threatening phone call, demanding that he not plant tobacco this season. He has ignored the threat and is continuing to plant.

Mazowe - A revisit on Riversdale Farm has been reported to the Police, who have said they will react today.


MASHONALAND EAST

Marondera - On Nutsgrove war vet Garwe asked for a pump. The owner told him that the one in the house does not work. He entered the house anyway and stole the pump.

Marondera North - Some new wooden huts have been moved onto Rapids. The owner of Rupture was warned that the Governor and Agritex were going to allocate the farm but they have not visited it yet.

Beatrice - The owner of Eden was warned that if he carried on with his land preparation the invaders would burn his tractors. He continued land prep this morning with no trouble. War Vet Jatzi is present on Plumstead and Central. Harare South - Police arrived on Stoneridge in 23 land rovers and 3 troop carriers, demolished and burnt the war vet base camp, burnt it and flattened any structures that would not burn. They then destroyed the huts in the tobacco lands. They then went on to Old Blackfordby. This morning they were on the farm at the Barrington Road and also at Irvines head office. They are basically destroying the huts. Presgrave was visited by war vet Chirwa from Chitungwisa and war vet Nyomi, who is resident on Denmark. They are trying to move into the paddock where thoroughbred race horses are kept. Police are attending.

Featherstone - Unable to contact.

Wedza - Another calf was hamstrung and had to be put down. Ridging is going ahead in the area.

Enterprise - There was some interference with the farming operations on Msingi and Meadows, and Police are attending. Thirteen occupiers were arrested yesterday in connection with the road blocks and work stoppages.

Bromley/Ruwa - On Dunstan someone leaving the farm was obstructed by a tree that the occupiers had put across the road as a road block. She did a u-turn and left the farm using another route.

Macheke/Virginia - War vet Chekunangira was caught poaching with nets in the Metheven dam by a security guard. He threatened the guard with his life. The nets were taken to the Police station. The Police went to arrest him on Faroe but he did not want to be arrested so has been subpoenaed to appear in court on 29 August. On Glen Somerset/Athlone/Exeter there is increased hut building on the land. The Police have told occupiers to build on the edge of the land. The owner of Castledene Pines has been told by the DA Murewa that he cannot do any land preparation because he has received his Section 8 Order. There is hut building on Vanguard. On Twist there was a stoppage of land preparation and seedbed watering. This was resolved by the Police. There were reports of a large number of gum trees being cut down on Mafuti. On Paradise a threat to build huts and peg the land was resolved by the Police. Police resolved the work stoppage on Morning Star. The owner of Mignon found out that the Police had attempted to hand out subpoenas for 6 of the war vets on his land but hadn't. The owner has been to the Police again. Fairview received a Section 8 Order, and yesterday afternoon the DA and Governor supposedly attended a pegging ceremony. War vet Garwe threatened to take Blue Gums and Springdale as well as Fairview. Camdale was occupied by 10-15 people. The Police said they would react. The occupiers left. Two war vets called a work stoppage which was resolved. Another three war vets arrived and asked why the owner was working. They stopped the tractor and told the farm labour to watch while they taught the white man that they were going to get his stubbornness out of him. They pushed him around and frog marched him to show them where the boundaries of the farm are. They were aggressive. Later he agreed to take the leader back to his base camp on Fault Farm, where he was detained for about 15 minutes and then allowed to leave. On Chilinda occupiers are building huts. Police have been informed. On Bimi two calves are missing.


MASHONALAND WEST NORTH

Tengwe - Contrary to Police instructions, 13 farms have had work stoppages again.

Ayrshire - On Montgomery Farm six war vets were removed by the Police for building, but later moved back on.

Mhangura - There has been an increase in numbers on Mcherengi Farm.


MASHONALAND WEST SOUTH

Chakari - On Barcombe yesterday a farm worker was brutally assaulted by three war veterans after he was told to turn off a water pump. He was taken to hospital in Harare. His condition at present is unknown, but believed to be critical. Following the war vets stopping tractors carting wood over the weekend on Cambustreni, war vets have now given the owner of Cambustreni written permission to cut and remove wood from their land.

Chegutu - The second homestead on Ranwick and the surrounding land has been sold to a group of at least 8 individuals by war vet Gilbert Moyo. On Kutawa Agritex have moved in to the workshop area - they will be carrying out the resettlement of people there.

Suri Suri - San Fernando has resumed work today, and all seems fine at this stage.

Norton - Work continues on Idaho with no problems at this time.


MASVINGO

Masvingo East and Central - War vet "Kid Muzenda" led a further occupation onto Yettom and Marah Farms yesterday, claiming that they had been designated. He then asked for the owner to move all his cattle off the property and tie up his farming operations. A beast has been slaughtered on Shallock Park Farm. Riverdene was occupied over the weekend. Occupiers are using their electric motor at night to pump water onto their plots.

Chiredzi - Many fires are being started on various properties.

Mwenezi - Oerwoud Farm was occupied by 100 people.

Gutu/Chatsworth - No change.


MANICALAND

Nothing to report.


MATABELELAND

West Nicholson - Yesterday 15 war vets went to the homestead on one farm, intimidated the secretary, and said that they were moving onto all the farms except Olympus, and that no hunting was to take place on any of the farms except Olympus. They then went to the labour housing and proceeded to tell the resident war vets how to peg. They then went to Tshabezi, but no one was dropped off there.


MIDLANDS

On Saturday 19th, two Agritex officers, 2 War Vets and a representative from the District Administrator's office visited London Farm and informed the farmer that his farm was mistakenly on "the list" and was not wanted. The occupiers were told to vacate the property. A man who rents grazing on the farm was stopped by some people when going to check on his cattle, and was told to remove them from the farm or the cattle would be confiscated as the farm now belongs to the occupiers. They are cutting trees in land which becomes swamp in the rainy season, which is going to result in erosion when the rains come.




Craig
Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List
http://www.niner.net/zimcrisis


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