More farm evictions in Mutare

By Violet Gonda
27 September 2006

Despite reports that the government of Robert Mugabe had put a stop to illegal farm evictions and in the face of evidence of the huge role that the chaotic farm seizures have played in the destruction of the economy, white commercial farmers are still being dispossessed of their farms.

A few days ago Dave Meikle - one of the prominent wheat and maize farmers in Old Mutare/Penhalonga area - was evicted. It’s reported that his personal losses will run to many millions of US dollars.

It is alleged that Didymus Mutasa, the Minister of Anti Corruption whose own farm is reportedly not far from the Meikle’s, was involved in the takeover. Mutasa is also the Minister of State Security who oversees the land reform programme.

Several other farmers are said to have been evicted in recent days in Manicaland province, Masvingo and parts of Mashonaland.

The latest evictions come against the backdrop of news that the government will prosecute farmers who defy eviction orders. According to the website ZimOnline, the vice president of the Commercial Farmers Union Trevor Gifford said two farmers will next week appear in the magistrate’s court in Karoi in Mashonaland West province. The farmers will become the first to be tried for defying government eviction orders since the beginning of farm seizures in 2000. The two are said to be some of the best tobacco and cereal growers in the country, with one of them having just delivered 1 000 tonnes of maize to the Grain Marketing Board.

Analysts say this has been the tragedy of the chaotic land seizures. What were once productive farms have been destroyed largely due to corruption and lack of cohesive policies.

Zimbabwe used to be the bread-basket of Southern Africa but now has been forced to import maize from its neighbours in the region. Paradoxically, some of the white farmers who were chased out by the Mugabe regime have found a home in Zambia, Mozambique and Nigeria, where they have made significant contributions to the economies of those countries and won the praise of the respective governments.