White farmer strangled and burnt to death

By Lance Guma
28 November 2005

On Saturday evening, a 68 year old dairy and horticultural farmer in Norton, 30 km outside Harare, was strangled and then burnt to death. According to Trevor Gifford of the Commercial Farmers Union, Don Stewart was attacked upon entering his house following a trip outside his homestead. His attackers had gone into the house via the roof quite aware there was no one inside. After coming face to face with him they decided to strangle him on his bed before covering his body with a mattress and setting it on fire using petrol.

Other press reports indicate the fuel had been stolen from a nearby farm vehicle. Attempts by farm workers to rescue him proved futile, as he was already dead by the time they arrived. Suspiciously, the intruders only stole a hunting rifle, fuelling speculation the motive was not an armed robbery as the state media reported but part of a broader strategy to intimidate the remaining white farmers. Gifford refused to comment on this speculation saying they were still investigating. He urged the police to bring the culprits to book saying as a union they condemned such violence on the farms.

Stewart is reported to have been living alone at the homestead after his wife Margaret fled the violence rocking the farming community. His son David is said to live in a cottage 2 km away. Less than 300 white commercial farmers are left in the country and the government is accused of carrying out an unofficial policy of physically harassing and evicting them from the remaining farms. The Commercial Farmers Union says there is no clear policy direction on the remaining farmers with government giving them conflicting signals.