Fears of more farm invasions and evictions

By Alex Bell
24 September 2008

As the stalemate on the allocation of cabinet posts persists between ZANU PF and both formations of the MDC, fears are growing that there will be more farm invasions and farm evictions across the country.

The MDC’s Pishai Muchauraya told Newsreel on Tuesday there have been fresh farm invasions in Manicaland, with at least 4 farms in the Vumba area being taken over. Another 2 farms in Old Mutare have also been invaded, with the invaders apparently brandishing ‘fake’ offer letters from State Security and Lands Resettlement Minister Didymus Mutasa. Property belonging to the farm owners is also being looted in what Muchauraya described as a ‘last minute rush to loot and cause confusion.’ The invasions are disrupting operations in the area with other farmers unsure whether to continue with their planting preparations or not.

According to a recent report on farm disruptions, there has been a definite upsurge in the increase of offer letters being issued by Mutasa, with a high percentage of the new ‘beneficiaries’ being part of the military. The new ‘beneficiaries’ of the land have been arriving on many properties, claiming immediate access to homesteads and crop lands. A further threat to productive farmers has also come from the recent promise to give land to Chiefs, who have allegedly not benefited from the land reform programme.

The signing of the power sharing deal has also prompted fears among so called ‘new farmers’ that they will be evicted from their lands, amidst rumours and concerns that the MDC would ‘reverse’ the land reform programme. The fears have seen moveable assets such as farming tools, being sold off and distributed in case of evictions, despite the signed deal stating that the land reform programme was irreversible.

John Worsley-Worswick from Justice for Agriculture told Newsreel on Wednesday there are grave concerns of more invasions, and explained that there has been ‘distinct escalations’ of attacks since both the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the power sharing deal. He said both occasions prompted an ‘expectation of the return to rule of law’, but instead saw a ‘last ditch grab by hierarchy officials, including war veterans and high ranking ZANU PF members, for land and moveable assets. Worsley-Worswick added that because there is no clear indication of what will happen with land in the aftermath of the deal, the confusion is ‘fuelling the last-ditch grab scenario’.