SA family forced to flee Rusape farm

By Alex Bell
08 January 2010

A South African farming family, that has been threatened and harassed by land invaders since last weekend, has been forced off their land in Rusape, becoming the third family in the area to be evicted in the last three weeks.

Dolf du Toit, his wife Alida and their son, Rudolph, left the farm on Thursday afternoon, after coming under siege by a mob of invaders over the weekend. Events came to a head on Thursday after Rudolph was trapped for more than a day in the homestead on their farm in the Nyazura district. The farm invaders finally allowed him to leave the house Thursday afternoon, when they handed over the family’s clothes and ordered them to leave the farm.

The invaders first showed up at the farm last Saturday morning and demanded that the farm be handed over to the ‘true owner’, brigadier Innocent Chiganze of the Zimbabwean air force. The elder Du Toits were assaulted by some of the farm invaders on Sunday, but were not seriously injured. They were able to stay on the property after the intervention of South African Ambassador Mlungisi Makalima. Makalima apparently managed to stabilise the situation after pleas from Alida for his assistance.

The incident comes in the wake of other similar attacks in the area since late last year. Last week, farmer Gavin Woest was evicted from his property by a gang working for former lands Minister Didymus Mutasa. Mutasa tried to force Woest to sign an illegal contract to hand over 20% of his tobacco crop from last year, and a further 20% of the coming year’s crop. But Woest refused to sign and found himself driven off his land. It is known that Mutasa already owns more than ten farms in the area, proving once again that the land attacks have little to do with empowerment or reform, and all to do with greed.

The Woest’s eviction came mere days after a South African farming family was forced to flee their property on Christmas Eve. Ray Finaughty and his family from Manda Farm, were given three hours to pack up their belongings and flee the property, following days of intimidation and harassment by a gang of suspected youth militia. His farming partner, Richard Harland, who remained on the property with his wife, has faced days of intimidation and threats since then, with thugs barricading the couple in their home.