SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
10 March 2009
Production at the handful of functioning farms remaining in Zimbabwe has ground to a halt, with ongoing farm invasions and threats of evictions forcing farmers to abandon their crops.
A fresh wave of farm invasions have seen more than 80 farms seized since last month and has left more than 100 farmers facing possible prosecution. A High Court judge last week nullified a SADC Tribunal ruling protecting white owned farms, leaving the country's remaining white farmers with little legal defensives against invaders. Most recently the owners of the Mount Carmel Farm in Chegutu once again came under threat, when on Monday a group of thugs arrived on the farm, accompanied by members of the CIO, a lands officer and police from Chegutu.
Mount Carmel is owned by Mike and Angela Campbell who were the first applicants in the farm test case that was taken before the SADC Tribunal last year. In November the farmers involved in the case were given full protection to continue farming without disturbance, in a ruling that has proved a short-lived victory with the nullification of it's legality in Zimbabwe's High Court last week.
The invaders of Mount Carmel were led by Peter Chamada who led a previous raid earlier this year, claiming to be the nephew of ZANU PF spokesman, Nathan Shamuyarira. But on Monday Chamada claimed he was in fact Shamuyarira's son. According to Campbell's son-in-law, Ben Freeth, their attorney in Harare spoke on the phone to both the lands officer and the police sergeant and informed them that Chamada had no authority to take up residence on the farm, until such time as there was an eviction order. However Freeth said a CIO operative told the Campbells that "the President was the law, and what the President said, they must do."
Freeth said the Campbells then argued that the President was not the law but were cautioned they were being 'disrespectful to the President'. Mugabe had insisted in his 85th birthday speech last month that the remaining white farmers in the country must vacate their land, saying they are not welcome.
Throughout the Chegutu district similar invasions are still taking place, leaving farms completely unproductive. On Downs farm, the house has been completely looted and the Grain Marketing Board manager has taken over. As a result dairy cows are now dying - in a country which is being forced to import milk from South Africa at more than double the price paid by South African consumers.
Meanwhile on Reydon farm, the owner obtained a High Court order to stop the local lands officer from taking over his house. But the lands officer, accompanied by the police, responded by smashing the locks and throwing out the owner's belongings, from the outbuilding he has since taken over. On Northleigh farm the lands officer defied another High Court order and broke into the house, with police moving all the owner's furniture into two rooms. And on Stockdale Citrus Estate, owned by the embattled Etheredge family, Senator Edna Madzongwe, President of the Senate, has continued to halt work on the farm and the 350 workers are to unable to reap their 6 000 ton citrus crop.
John Worsley-Worswick from Justice for Agriculture said on Tuesday that it is "ludicrous that this is happening when we have a starving nation." He argued that Zimbabwe's farming output had already dropped significantly since 2000, when Mugabe's land grab was in full swing. He said the farmers are even more bitter as these new 'fast track' invasions are happening "against the backdrop of a unity government meant to bring about change."
Zimbabweans are battling a crippling countrywide food shortage that has left more than seventy percent of the population in critical need of international food aid. The UN's World Food Programme has in turn been forced to cut its aid rations to cater for the overwhelming number of starving people in Zimbabwe - a country that was once regarded as the breadbasket of Africa.
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[If it is any consolation, you may note that Africans were feeding themselves before your rhodie plague stepped vile foot on the African savanna ...]
Before the 'Rhodie Plague' there were less than 200,000 people native to Zimbabwe. Now there are 12,200,000. You are suggesting that 12,000,000 or so people should leave or die so the population can go back to what the land can support on a subsistance level.
If that happens; in 25 years I'll probably be able to trade a Bic Lighter for a dozen Lion skins!LOL
Like there will be 7 lions left to kill by then. Or any schools open (already closed) hospitals open (already closed) or any local currency (already finished)... the list goes on and on...
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This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.
Why yes, the greedy ministers and Grace that that corrupt Mugabe has given all the farms too are most definately incompentant farmers. Else there would be plenty of food... but people are starving. All a result of Mugabe not dealing with the land issue properly. Give the land to farmers who can farm, not elitists who just want to look at their property and think they have a big dick. That goes for grace too.
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4,000 down to 400, that to me says that your so called Rhodie vermin would now make a minimal impact on in the agriculture sector. it has been like this for nearly 10 years and yet suprise suprise there has been no re adjustments at all. The epic economic financial crisis has done some good things, especially in the agriculture area. Input costs have drastically been reduced, cost of fertilizers, seed, Fuel etc are at there lowest points for nearly two years. when you come up with something substantial in regards to why farm invasions are the right thing to… [Read Full Text]
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" Farm Production Grinds to a Halt As Farm Invasions Continue .."
Have faith, my child.
The situation is temporary for the period that the sector re-adjusts to the departure of the foreign vermin. [If it is any consolation, you may note that Africans were feeding themselves before your rhodie plague stepped vile foot on the African savanna ...]
By the way, have you heard about the epic economic recession and financial meltdown gripping the economies of the world?
Maybe the racist in you would rather maintain that African - and not your whites - are incompetent