Three farm workers from Chegutu's Stockdale Farm are recovering from gun shot wounds after police officials opened fire on them on Tuesday morning. One of the victims is still being treated in hospital after his foot was amputated as a result of his injuries.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa explained on Tuesday that the workers had accompanied the farm owners, John and Peter Etheredge, to inspect the farm. The Etheregdes and most of their staff have been forced off the land by Senate President Edna Madzongwe, who has led an often violent campaign of harassment in an effort to force the Etheredges off the land. She has vowed she will not leave the farm and has posted police officers on the land to prevent the Etheredges from returning.

Muchemwa explained that on Tuesday morning the Etheredges and their staff had been inspecting the plantation of oranges on Stockdale when they were met by a group of police officers. Without any warning, police opened fire on the group, injuring the three workers.

"It was an entirely unprovoked shooting," Muchemwa explained. "It appears that this was done by order of Senator Madzongwe."

Meanwhile the recent wave of farm invasions that have resulted in the large-scale plunder of farm produce has continued unabated, despite last week's direct orders by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara for the attacks to cease.

In Chegutu, Mount Carmel farm continues to be a looting ground and campsite for invaders who have forced the landowners and staff off the land, and are now selling the cultivated fruit on the farm to hawkers. Last week, Mutambara and a ministerial delegation, instructed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to probe the farm invasions, visited the farm and ordered the invaders to leave the farmers in peace. But the orders have been completely ignored, and the farm owners still cannot access their land or the millions of dollars worth of produce, which, when it's not sold, is being left to rot.

The grand theft on Mount Carmel is being completely looked over as a part of the land invasion that Chegutu police have openly supported. At the same time, despite the law being obviously flouted on the farm by the invaders, eight of the farm's staff have remained behind bars on ludicrous kidnapping charges.

The same situation is being echoed on Twyford farm in Chegutu, a farm that is meant to be safeguarded by a Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) between France and Zimbabwe. BIPA agreements are meant to protect the farming investments of foreign nationals. But much like the SADC Tribunal ruling last year, which was also meant to offer commercial farmers protection from future land invasions, the BIPA laws are being totally ignored.

Twyford farm was also visited by last week's ministerial delegation, after the land was forcefully invaded by ZANU PF Senator Jamaya Muduvuri and has been continuously plundered since February. After the visit last week, Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara ordered the ZANU PF official to 'peacefully cohabit' on the farm with the farm's owners without interfering with farming activities, until the government makes a decision about the farm attacks. But within three hours of the ministerial delegation leaving, the farm had been barricaded by invaders and the farm owners have not been allowed back on the land.

Large scale theft has also continued on the property, and tons of cultivated fruit and vegetables have been sold to hawkers, once again clarifying that this is not about land - but is nothing more than government sponsored theft on a grand scale.