ZANU-PF punishing farm workers for voting MDC

By Tererai Karimakwenda
09 April, 2008

The recent escalation of farm invasions that are being orchestrated by the ruling party, appear to be nothing more than an exercise to punish farm workers who Zanu PF believe voted for the opposition. In the last week over 100 farms have fallen victim to gangs of hired thugs who identify themselves as war veterans. Although the government propaganda is targeting white farmers, it appears the real agenda is to intimidate black farm workers ahead of any runoff between Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who clearly won the Presidential election.

Reports say the mobs have become increasingly violent, setting fire to farm labourers’ huts and beating workers. The white farmers are being given 24 hours to leave, or less, and thousands more black farm workers will end up unemployed and displaced.

Trevor Gifford, president of the Commercial Farmers Union, on Tuesday confirmed that black farm workers are being rounded up, abused and forced to chant ZANU-PF slogans. Gifford said they are being blamed for Mugabe’s electoral loss, even though many of them are not even allowed to vote because they have at least one grandparent from either Zambia or Malawi.

Ben Gilpin, acting CEO at Justice for Agriculture which represents evicted white farmers, said some of the invaders are small scale farmers from each local area that are being organised into groups. They are getting their instructions from senior ZANU-PF officials. Gilpin also confirmed that the houses of black farm workers in Centenery were burned down by invaders. He found this strange because the local ZANU-PF MP had retained his seat unopposed.

According to Gilpin, all 15 remaining white farmers in Centenary have been evicted. The evictions in that area are being coordinated at the district administrative offices. Latest reports say that invaders there have turned to killing livestock. In other parts of the country the incidents have varied, ranging from evictions, barricades, warnings and full-scale “jambanjas” that involve all-night sloganeering.

It is feared that this new round of illegal farm invasions will add to the already serious food shortages, as the maize harvest is in progress and wheat planting is due to begin in a few weeks. In other cases the farm workers are being ordered not to report to the fields and invaders are destroying farm equipment, produce and buildings.

In one incident reported in The Times (UK) newspaper, one farmer who was milking his herd early Tuesday morning was approached by a mob armed with sticks, stones and a shotgun. They ordered him to stop but he refused because the cows needed to be milked or they would become ill. The dreadlocked gang leader then ordered him to throw the milk out on the ground, saying it was the law.

As we reported, one incident in Masvingo was stage managed by the state broadcaster ZBC, who filmed the incident and paid the invaders. The so-called war veterans were neatly dressed and well-spoken individuals, many of them obviously not old enough to have fought in the liberation war.

Justice For Agriculture, which represents evicted white farmers, released a statement which said in part: “The deadlock in the country's political process following last week’s general election and the slow announcement of results has left the government looking once again for scapegoats to blame for the outcome.”