Soldiers under the control of Brigadier General Mujaji are continuing to disrupt farming activities at Charles Lock’s Karori farm in the Headlands district. According to the Locks, the Brigadier has in the last two nights been ‘stealing’ maize belonging to Lock, who owns the farm the Brigadier wants to seize. The latest developments are also in total violation of a High Court order allowing the commercial farmer to remove his maize and tobacco which has been held in his sheds by Mujaji's soldiers for several months.

Lock’s wife told SW Radio Africa that they only got to hear about the ongoing theft of their crops when one of the 30-ton trucks carrying their maize broke down at Halfway House on the Harare - Mutare road on Wednesday. She said because they are not allowed on their farm they have no idea how much exactly has been taken, but reports from workers and neighbours estimate that at least seven 30-ton rigs, totalling 210 tons of maize, have been taken by the Brigadier in the last two days alone. “He is stealing it. It doesn’t belong to him. He has done nothing to produce that maize.”

Mrs Lock said they tried to get the police to act when they heard that the truck had broken down. She said police were sent to guard the truck but that Mujaji went to the scene and ordered them to leave. This prompted Charles Lock to go to police headquarters to complain. “But I said to him it’s so obvious that no one is going to help. But I suppose he just doesn’t want to give up hope. It’s been a hard year for him and now to see all his maize being trucked off and he can’t do anything. He just feels so helpless.”

Mujaji has caused serious havoc on the farm for several years now, in blatant defiance of many High Court orders. The Brigadier already stands accused of stealing 300 tons of maize and 150 tons of tobacco some months ago. Additionally the tobacco had been grown under contract and financed by international tobacco companies. Lock’s entire workforce have also been chased off the property by Mujaji. The commercial farmer says soldiers manning the farm on behalf of the Brigadier have also been helping themselves to items from Lock’s house.

Last month, after obtaining yet another court order allowing him to remove his crops and equipment from his farm, Lock went with the messenger of the court and police officers to serve the order on the soldiers. But the soldiers just threatened to kill Lock right in front of the police.

Mrs Lock said: “The police just said they haven’t got the order from above and so they weren’t going to act. So there is not much that we could do, especially when you face all these guys with their guns.”

Mujaji's wife is the sister of Monica Chinamasa, the wife of the Minister of Justice. The Chinamasas have been allocated a farm that shares a common boundary with the Lock’s Karori farm, which the Brigadier wants.

The soldiers salaries are of course, being paid by the government.

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