A commercial farmer forcibly evicted from his Chipinge property over the weekend is to seek the intervention of the High Court, to allow him back on his farm.
Trevor Gifford, the former president of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) was forced off his property on Sunday evening and is still being prevented from returning.
Gifford was hosting a lunch with friends when a mob of land invaders arrived on his property Sunday afternoon. The mob became very threatening, eventually invading the property and barricading Gifford, his wife and their guests in the house. Gifford recounted his ordeal to SW Radio Africa on Tuesday and explained that the situation became volatile and abusive.
"The mob was very threatening and abusive but I was reluctant to leave my property," Gifford said. "Eventually some friends convinced me to pack my belongings and get out, before things turned violent."
Gifford explained that he and two other people were "held hostage" until late in the evening, and he was forced to sign a letter saying that the house had been emptied. He also wrote a note to accompany the letter, saying that he was under duress and had been forced to sign the document. But he explained that with no help from the police, there was very little else he could do.
"The police have been instructed not to help any white farmer or they will be locked up as punishment, so there's no help there," Gifford said. "I will be making an application to the High Court to get back on my land."
Gifford is one of over 16 farmers who have faced attacks by land invaders in recent weeks, in an offensive that appears to deliberately target farmers with court orders meant to protect them on their properties.
Current CFU Vice President Charles Taffs has told SW Radio Africa that the attacks are a direct result of orders by Didymus Mutasa to ignore court orders protecting land. Mutasa recently ordered a group of people occupying a coffee plantation in Chipinge to remain on the property, despite a court order demanding they vacate the land.
Gifford meanwhile explained that the current onslaught against coffee farmers in Chipinge was threatening the entire coffee industry in Zimbabwe. He said that at least four coffee farmers have been evicted from their farms in the last ten days.
He said more than 6,000 coffee growers stand to lose international support as a result of the current land invasions, saying that "these land invasions are clearly not in the best interest of thousands of people dependent on the industry."
"There is programme developed with the European Union to support coffee growers in Zimbabwe, but the current land invasions are putting the entire programme in jeopardy," Gifford said.
Gifford meanwhile was in court on Tuesday where he is being prosecuted for remaining on his property 'illegally'. That case has been remanded until later in the month.
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" .. Trevor Gifford .. was forced off his property on Sunday evening and is still being prevented from returning. .."
We note that he is still alive.
It always surprises me that Zimbabwe acts surprised that the world will not send them aid when they continue to allow events like this! This is a failed country and will not be supported.
Stevensrob;
Zimbabwe does not need your support; you can keep that support to yourself or give it to those who still want subjugation. What we want and will continue fighting for is our heritage. PERIOD!!!
With the resources in our country benefiting us directly, what is the need for so-called aid? Remember Zimbabwe is one of the richest countries in this region but our resources are being plundered by imperialists and siphoned to their countries, thereby benefiting them and not us.
What we need is to repossess our heritage and then we can talk of Total Independence and 100% Empowerment.
Total empowerment?
You got your land back...but look at what youve done with it. Need I say more?
takunya just give it up already. Zimbabwe is not even recognized as a bountiful country any longer so just drop that false sense of grandeur, and too guess what, you are your own thieves looting like there is no tomorrow. Not a day goes by without your leaders squabbling with one another about those diamonds. Face it, you are losers now showing that you knew nothing about running a country in the first place and what a mess you have created. There is a difference between trying hard and failing and failing because you are not trying hard and in your case, failing because you are ignorant thieves and criminals. Why not come clean and face facts that you DO need a lot of financial help and the only people that are likely to give are those from the Western world but don't hold your breath about your African world because nothing will come from them as they too have hands out from the Western world. The difference between you and the other African nations is that whatever aid they are getting, they are utilizing it for the purpose for which it was intended with the Global Fund not only giving much praise to those responsible African countries, but giving more aid because the people are benefiting. You on the hand, have stolen even from the Global fund. Yes you were caught and made to pay that US 7 million dollars back. How shameful of Mugabe and Gono. So you see takunya, trying to give yourself airs and graces will not help because your stench far precedes you.
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