Riot police evict workers from white farmers' land
- From: "Zvakanaka" <lalapansi@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 04:17:39 +0200
Riot police evict workers from white farmers' land
Zim Standard
By OUR STAFF
BULAWAYO - Riot police two weeks ago evicted workers from one of the
few remaining white-owned commercial farms in Matabeleland North, a few days
after forcing their elderly employers off the property at gunpoint.
Heavily-armed officers rounded up the 16 workers at Portwe Estates in
Bubi District before bundling them into waiting trucks.
The shell-shocked workers were dumped at their villages, some as far
away as Nkayi, about 100km away.
Their unidentified manager was taken to Shurugwi in the Midlands. They
were warned never to set foot in the district again.
A fortnight ago, Margaret Joubert and her 83-year-old mother, Ellen
Maud Dolphin were evicted from their farmhouse by armed officers who dumped
them at a neighbouring farm with a few of their belongings.
The evictions were in contempt of a High Court order interdicting the
police from disrupting operations at the safari farm.
"When they evicted Mrs Joubert and her mother they asked us to work
for them but we refused," said one farm worker who requested anonymity. "We
were told never to come back to the district again."
Narrating their ordeal in Bulawayo, where they have sought temporary
refuge, Joubert and Dolphin said they were still traumatised by the
experience.
"They arrived early in the morning and forced open the security gate
after the guard refused to open for them," Joubert said. "I spoke to them
through the kitchen window and I told them I needed to speak to our lawyers
before allowing them in.
"But a few minutes later about 50 of them in riot gear and carrying
AK47s were inside the house, demanding that we should pack our belongings.
"They said they could only take us to a distance of 20km and I asked
them to take us to our neighbours.
"We arrived at 1pm and at 5pm an armed policeman came, demanding my TV
set, the sound system and DSTV decoder, but he refused to give me written
confirmation for the things that he took."
Joubert said they took away elephant tusks.
The family has since made an urgent High Court application for the
release of the property, including three vehicles and guns seized early this
year.
Joubert said they would be staying with well-wishers, as they wait for
the court case to be concluded.
Dolphin is a veteran bowls player who represented Zimbabwe at
international tournaments in a long career.
The police first invaded the farm in March this year and have ignored
several court orders to vacate the property.
Recent media reports have indicated a fresh wave of farm invasions
following a government circular to all chief land officers in all provinces
ordering the police to arrest white farmers remaining on land earmarked for
acquisition after the expiry of the notice of eviction.
Last week, the Commercial Farmers' Union, representing an estimated
600 remaining white commercial farmers, was quoted as saying contrary to
assertions that white farmers were resisting the government's land reform,
most of those still on their farms were awaiting the outcome of their
applications for land lodged with the government, in some cases as far back
as two years ago.
Didymus Mutasa, the Minister of Lands and Land Reform has, however,
said he is working out a plan to sort out the confusion on the farms.
.
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