- I hope this is not simply a repeat for
you - this came to me yesterday and I thought it worth circulating. I do
not know Patrick but I know the area very well and this story is fairly
typical of the situation on the commercial farms in Mashonaland. Just
for your further consideration I will give you the following brief synopsis
of the position the white farmers hold in the economy of Zimbabwe (or did
hold).
-
- 1. They occupy just over 20 per cent
of the total farmland in the country (8,6 million ha).
-
- 2. They represent about a quarter of
all commercial farmers and about 80 per cent of all large scale commercial
farmers in the country.
-
- 3. They are all Zimbabweans - either
by birth or adoption.
-
- 4. They produce 50 per cent of our exports,
40 per cent of all maize grain, 95 per cent of the tobacco, 80 per cent
of all wheat and 95 per cent of all barley. They produce the majority of
our milk, meat and tea and coffee. Nearly all fruit and about 90 per cent
of horticultural products for export.
-
- 5. 83 per cent of them are like Patrick
- they purchasred their farms AFTER independence with government permission
which implied that government did not need the land for resettlement.
-
- 6. Their farms are their main asset -
they have no other sources of income and most of them borrowed the money
they needed to start up.
-
- 7. They employ 30 per cent of all people
in paid employment and over half of all commercial and industrial firms
depend on them for the majority of their business.
-
- 8. They support a total farm population
of 2 million people at an average standard of living which is three times
the average of peasant farmers operating in similar circumstances.
-
- 9. In the past two years they have been
beaten, robbed, their families violated and their rights as investors and
citizens totally subjugated. Their staff and their families have been
treated worse if anything but are certainly sujected to the same treatment
as the farmers.
-
- 10. Large Scale black commercial farmers
who have sided with the opposition in public have received the same treatment
at the hands of Zanu Auxilliaries and thugs. They are afforded no protection
by the police.
-
- 11. We are now out of our basic food
- maize meal, short of all other food products and our tobacco crop is
down to about 60 per cent of normal. We expect this situation to persist
into 2003 even if the situation on the farms is rectified inthe next 6
months.
-
-
- 12. The government claims to have settled
135 000 people on these farms - but they have no security, no social services,
no production support of any significance and in the present season they
are not expected to be even capable of feeding themselves and their families.
-
- In doing so they have put 500 000 Zimbabweans
out of work, threatened the food system for the whole population. Reduced
exports by 40 per cent and displaced over 2 million people. Nearly 3 million
have fled the country to seek a better life in other countries - over two
million to South Africa alone.
-
- It is in this light that this particular
little story needs to be contextualised - its not just about a single white
African family occupying a "privileged" position in a former
British dependency.
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- Eddie Cross Bulawayo 26th January 2002
___
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-
- TO ALL CONCERNED PEOPLE
-
- From Patrick Ashton 16th January 2002
-
-
- I, Patrick Ashton of Landfall Farm, Mutorashanga,
Zimbabwe, have this to say: I bought Landfall after independence 20 years
ago, wishing to be a part of the new Zimbabwe. I am a full Zimbabwean
by registration and choice. I have four sons, two actively in agriculture
and two at school.
-
- I have developed the farm over the years
to grow 80 ha of tobacco) +-300 tonnes), +- 40 ha of maize and 30 ha of
export mangoes. I have developed a farm village of 105 brick under corrugated
iron houses for my staff and employ +-300 permanent and contract workers
under normal circumstances.
-
- The farm is fully developed for extensive
cropping and a programme to intensify horticulture is in place. The farm
is not listed in any way, which fact is conceded by the authorities (DA
and Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement). The criteria
are: The farm is not near communal land, The farm is the sole farm owned
by me, The farm is not foreign owned, The farm is not listed.
-
- Since August 2001 the farm has been illegally
invaded by 150 settlers. After thirteen or more visits to and from the
DA Zvimba and/or his staff, I was able to plant 45 ha of tobacco and tend
my mangoes. During this period I had 124 irrigation pipes axed and 46 kms
of drip tape either slashed or burnt and many other provocations.
-
- Tobacco was planted three times in one
land where settlers (Sgt Makiwa of ZRP) disputed the Lands Committee's
decision to allow me to plant in my prepared land. This same Sgt Makiwa
attempted to panga me on December 9 2001 when I was photographing the malicious
damage he had caused. This has all been reported to ZRP Mutorashanga.
-
- On Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January
2002, youths were collected from farms in my farming area at the orders
of the local ZANU PF supposedly for training in national service! They
encamped at the local primary school and over the weekend set up illegal
roadblocks, harassing motorists and pedestrians along the Mutorashang/Van
Ad Road. In the evenings they destroyed the local MDC leaders home in
the village and three young MDC men were beaten and hospitalised.
-
-
- Customers for my mangoes were beaten
and thrashed when they came across this roadblock. In addition this group
searched for and beat up three more MDC youths on Sunday.
-
- On Monday the 14 January at 08.45 my
son Phillip radioed saying these people, led by one Mr. Mbamba (ZANU PF
councilor), had invaded my house and garden. They pulled Adam, my son and
Sandy, who is Phillip's girlfriend and a South African national, out of
the house. Phillip was promptly accosted and had the farm radio and his
cell phone stolen from him. I said I would come in from the tobacco lands
immediately.
-
- On arrival at the house I was unable
to get through the gates as Phillip's pick-up had been parked deliberately
to close off the entrance to me. I was immediately surrounded by a frenzied
rabble armed with axes and sticks. They shouted demands for my radio and
cell phone but would not otherwise converse with me. They began beating
the car and poking me through the side window. One blow shattered my front
windscreen and I decided the situation was out of hand and I would be no
help to my children dead.
-
- I started the engine and, hooting my
horn for warning, reversed to give me room to swing away from the gate.
In doing so I hit an overhanging branch of a tree and dented the cab of
my pick up. The thugs then bashed in the remaining side windows as I drew
away from them across some open ground and I was able to leave the area.
I warned my staff of the violence and told them to disperse to the bush
and went for help at my neighbours.
-
- My neighbour collected four policemen
and the member-in-charge and dropped them near my house at approximately
09.00. My sons and Sandy were held captive for 10 hours before their release.
They were subjected to all sorts of trauma. Adam was whipped when he
complained they should not beat the dogs. They said it was him or the
dogs. He bravely took the whipping. They threatened to bury Phillip and
brought shovels to do so. They slaughtered two cows and four sheep to eat.
They also beat up my gardener and the farm manager.
-
- Adam and Phillip had their shirts removed
to "check for bugging equipment". They were forced to go through
to the house to cook for the intruders who drank all my beer. While this
was going on the intruders went through the rest of the house and systematically
looted electrical equipment, clothes and bedding.
-
-
- All this took place in front of the police
or while the police wandered around watching the cattle shot and the sheep
being slaughtered. Drums were beaten and songs were chanted whilst the
meat was distributed. Towards 17.00 hours, my children were told to pack
their bags and get out, threatened with death if they returned. They were
then released at _+ 18.30 and I met up with them and guided them to a safe
house.
-
- The following day, Tuesday we heard the
intruders had left the house so we returned to get our lives together.
After half and hour we were warned by telephone the group was returning
so we evacuated and came to Harare, leaving two policemen to guard the
house. I have been actively canvassing help to continue farming.
-
- Since August 2001 I have enlisted the
help of Ministry of Housing, diplomats, CFU, ZTA and mainly DA Zvimba.
All to no avail despite the farm not being listed. I have been subjected
to outrageous demands for compensation from the settlers when the settlers
have herded my cattle deliberately into their maize to graze. My fencing
has been stolen and gates left open.
-
- I transparently support the democratic
process. I believe tolerance of different ideas and the rule of law is
a prerequisite to "one man-one vote" of his choice. The wonderful
young people of the country I have met deserve a better future of their
own choice. Someone has to do something. I believe all the provocation
is a result of my open support of the democratic process.
-
- The ambush and invasion of my house was
obviously an orchestrated and deliberate act of terrorism and clearly has,
at least, the tacit approval of the authorities. In support of this I point
out: 1. Telephone cut. 2. Vehicle deliberately set in the driveway to
block my path. 3. Stop groups set up by the intruders. 4. The attack
was timed for the breakfast period when I would be expected to be at home.
5. All means of on farm communication were either stolen or disabled.
6. My property was systematically looted despite a police presence on
the farm.
-
-
- At this moment the Zimbabwe National
SPCA are bravely attempting to rescue our pets from the encamped youth
brigade, which is still in situ in my garden. I am very grateful to the
people involved in this rescue operation.
-
- Finally I would like to thank all those
who have helped my family and me these last few days. May all those with
goodwill towards Zimbabwe and her people pray for this madness to end and
that peace and tolerance return.
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