Army takes sugar farm protected by BIPPA

By Tererai Karimakwenda
23 November 2006

A team of soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army took over a sugar farm in the lowveld on Monday morning even though it belongs to a foreigner whose property is protected by the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA). Located near Chiredzi the farm had already been sub-divided into small plots on which the so-called A2 farmers were resettled by government. Chiredzi farmer Gerry Whitehead said the army team, with assistance from the Chiredzi police, forcibly evicted a French Mauritian cane farmer named Lebot from his homestead. He added that only about 18 white cane growers were left out of more than 50 growers that existed before the year 2000.

The Mugabe regime has not respected the bilateral protection agreements that government signed with foreign companies in order to encourage them to invest in Zimbabwe. And the loss of confidence in investing may drive out more businesses from an already ailing economy.

Whitehead said the A2 settlers who were given plots by government as part of the land reform programme have not grown any cane. He described the land they are on as derelict and the A2 farmers continue to do nothing. According to Whitehead the sugar mills were designed to handle a certain amount of sugar cane and right now they are not being efficiently utilized. There is not enough being grown to keep them busy. Sugar shortages, which already exist, are bound to get worse.

A statement sent by the Zimbabwe Peace Project said farm evictions continue to be carried out in Chipinge. It alleged that at least six eviction notices have been delivered to farmers, including those issued to farm owners of Busi, Whittington valley, New Farm and Sweet Acres farms. The owners were given until December 18 to vacate their farms. The statement said: “The farm invasions are reportedly being masterminded by the Zanu PF District Chairman and Central Intelligence office head in Chipinge, on behalf of Zanu PF senior officials.” The full ZPP statement is on our website.