COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION
INFORMATION ROOM
FARM INVASIONS
UPDATE - 5 MAY 2000
Masvingo
Gutu/Chatsworth - There has been
one new invasion in this area today.
Two farmers have received letters
telling them to move all their cattle
of the property. Cattle are being
moved onto properties and it appears
that the veterinary boundary from
Midlands into the Masvingo region is
being breached, but this is
unconfirmed. Today a group of invaders
entered a homestead through the back
door and walked through the house
to the front verandah.
Save
Conservancy (Chiredzi) - the farmer on Sango Ranch has been
instructed by
invaders to clear out the manager's homestead as they
intend moving in.
Safari camps continue to be overrun in the Chiredzi
district. On Mukwasi
Ranch this morning 50 people set up camp near the
manager's homestead. They
are making fires and building shelters.
Mukazi had an invasion of 900
yesterday.
Masvingo East and Central - There was a reinvasion on
Shallock Park Farm
today.
Mashonaland East
Macheke/Virginia - The
area has been generally quiet today, but invaders
continue to make
unrealistic demands. Farmers and labourers are in the
process of removing
tobacco, maize and farming equipment from Arizona
Farm (Dave
Stevens).
Bromley/Ruwa/Enterprise - Lonely Park was visited yesterday by
the
National Task Force. The farmer is now back on his property,
but
invaders will not guarantee his safety until he compensates them
for
injuries sustained from a previous run-in with the labour force.
There were two new invasions on Crowhill and Chabwino Farms
today,and
Colga was reinvaded.
Land prep was halted on Remari today, and
on Oribi a farmer was forced
to kill a beast for a spirit medium.
Wedza - On Southlorn Farm the compound was assaulted on Wednesday
night.
The National Task Force visited them yesterday, and the local
team
visited the farm today, as the invaders are acting independantly.
There
were work stoppages on Iamba and Rupako today; attempts are being
made
to resolve these.
Harare South/Beatrice - On Braemar and
Stoneridge Farms rhodes grass was
set alight and burnt today.
Marondera - On Roroima there was a work stoppage
today.
Marondera North - Accommodation was demanded by invaders from
Dormavale.
An alternative was offered and the matter has been resolved. There
was a
new invasion on Bothasrusk.
On the Shamva Road traffic is being
obstructed, and sticks and stones
are being thrown at passing
vehicles.
Mashonaland West North
More on the labour assaulted in the
Karoi area which was reported
yesterday: the assaults were not serious. All
casualties were treated
on-farm.
Pegging and maize theft is taking
place on Mlembwe Farm in Banket. In
addition, invaders are now asking for
land for the labour.
Poaching is ongoing in Lion's Den, and there have
been many cancellation
of hunts, which will drastically affect the farms'
incomes.
Northern Mutorashanga was quiet today, and there has been a lot
of
movement in Tengwe.
In Karoi two farmers have returned to their
farms.
Mashonaland West South
There was a reinvasion of 300 on
Blackmorevale Farm today. Land is being
cleared and houses built.
On
Shingwiri Farm in Norton invaders broke into the homestead last night
and
stole from the kitchen.
The rest of the region was quiet
today.
Central Mashonaland
The dialogue that is taking place at all
levels is useful in stabilising
the situation, but we ask that local dialogue
teams focus on the
practicalities of ensuring safety and continuation of work
and do not
get drawn into any land deals. All district proposals on land
offers
should be channelled through the Regional Office so that we can
take
them forward to the national negotiating team. Please do not
compromise
the situation by being drawn into local deals on
land.
Centenary - The situation is relatively stable at Maclear Farm.
The
owner was forced to clear out the farm cottage for occupation by
war
vets and has vacated the farm for safety reasons. The cottage has
been
taken over at Mavuradonha Farm as well, but the owner has now
returned
to the farm, where things are tense, but under control. Work is
in
progress and there has been no damage to property. There was a
new
invasion last night at Westbury Farm, where they ordered the
Manager's
cottage to be cleared out and informed the owner that he has until
the
11th May 2000 to move off the farm. A group has started
pegging
Drumarde Farm without having gone through a "demonstration"
phase.
Horseshoe - All quiet with nothing to report.
Victory Block
- All is quiet in the area, although there are large
numbers of communal
cattle roaming the farm lands.
Mvurwi - New invasion last night on
Hariana Farm. A group of over 250
from their "base" at Forrester occupied
the homestead area in the early
evening. The owner was away at the time and
came back to find the group
in his garden and home. The group vacated the
house fairly peacefully
after he agreed to slaughter a "mombie" for them.
There was no damage
to property and during the morning they moved on to Wella
Farm, which is
a new invasion and demanding the usual food and
transport.
Tsatsi - Discussions are in progress with the war vet leaders
as to the
possibility of using Montgomery Farm (Joe Philp) as a base for
the
area. Barwick School is scheduled to open as usual on Monday 8th
May
2000. There is a continguency plan in place, should it be required
and
it is believed that the children may be safer at the school than
on
isolated farms.
Mazowe / Concession - New invasion on Mazowe Citrus
Estates yesterday,
but have since moved back to the communal lands. The ZRP
arrived today
following a report that there was a training camp on the farm
and are
still investigating.
Glendale - The small group at Harmony
Farm has increased the pressure on
the owner to sign by lighting a fire by
the back door and smoking the
house out. The Mazowe police arrived and were
extremely helpful
entering negotiations and eased the situation. The
invaders have moved
back and agreed to stay in the compound and work is
proceeding as
normal. The police also assisted in an amicable agreement to
the
situation at Chabara Farm.
Bindura / Mutepatepa - All quiet with
nothing to report.
Shamva - All quiet in the area.
Harare West -
New invasion yesterday at Stockade Farm. The clothing
factory on the farm
has been shut down with threats that it will be
burnt out if they attempt to
re-open.
Nyabira - A few threats and demands have been received for the
usual
meat, mealie meal and transport, otherwise things are relatively
quiet.
Manicaland
Quiet and no new invasions
today.
Midlands
A meeting was held this morning to brief the Farmers'
Association
Chairmen. No reports from this region due to the
meeting.
Matabeleland
No new invasions were reported today, and there
were no incidents of
violence, although a firearm was seen on a property in
Inyathi
yesterday.
Falcon College has employed someone to oversee
security and term will be
starting as per normal.
Note:
We
will no longer be listing offers of accommodation in our reports. Any
farmers
wanting accommodation for any period of time please contact:
Jan Wentworth at
janwe@cfu.co.zw or
Nicky Petersen at nickyp@cfu.co.zw
farmers
wanting accommodation for any period of time please contact:
Jan Wentworth at
janwe@cfu.co.zw or
Nicky Petersen at nickyp@cfu.co.zw