Violence and evictions of white farmers break out in Chipinge

By Tererai Karimakwenda
22 September 2005

Just days after minister Didymus Mutasa said white farmers are filth that must be cleared out, the Chipinge area of Manicaland has been rocked by violence against 2 farmers and is reported to be extremely tense. One farmer was brutally assaulted and the other was evicted with hardly enough time to pack. 4 farm workers and their families were also evicted.

Security forces launched a dawn raid on Wednesday, firing automatic weapons in the air around David Wilding-Davies, his white farm manager and a neighbour in the Chipinge area. The UK Daily Telegraph newspaper says 15 armed militiamen attacked Wilding-Davies when he went to assist his manager Allan Warner who had been knocked to the ground and was being kicked and pummelled with iron bars. Wilding-Davies told the paper that a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation led the group of attackers. Both men were treated at a local hospital but are reported to be in much pain.

In another incident, 68-year old Gideon Mostert and his wife were evicted late night Tuesday from their farm also in Chipinge. 4 farm labourers and a driver were also evicted simply because they helped him pack. The labourers have families and they are now all homeless. Mostert told us he had been given notice last Thursday to get off his property by Wednesday this week. But on Tuesday night as he continued packing, the new owner arrived with a police escort and told him he had overstayed his welcome. Mostert alleges that this new owner is called Win Mlambo, who is either a consultant or consul at the Zimbabwe Embassy in London.

Mostert also said Mlambo claims he was allocated the farm back in February. With the new constitutional amendments Mostert cannot even attempt to fight the eviction in court. He said he has lost over Z$2 billion worth of property, including equipment, fertiliser and chemicals. Alos lost are tonnes of coffee which were being harvested and other export crops worth a lot of money. Mostert and his wife are now living in their trailer in Chipinge town, trying to decide what to do next.