MEDIA UPDATE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Commercial Farmers’ Union of Zimbabwe – 26 October 2009
Food crisis set to escalate as farmers forced off land
The dramatic upscaling of violence against the few remaining Zimbabwean commercial farmers and their workers is cause for great concern, both for food security in Zimbabwe and for the region.
Over the past 12 months, the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) has seen a steady continuation, and in some cases escalation of state-sponsored violence and unlawful disturbances on commercial farms.
Farmers are being driven from their farms by beneficiaries who have been fraudulently allocated the farms on the basis of:
- A previous listing of their farm(s) in a Government Gazette
- The existence of an offer letter issued at the sole discretion of a minister or land officer in favour of the listed farm(s) in question
- Fraudulently generated offer letters.
- Taking the law into their own hands.
The beneficiaries are from all walks of life including Ministers or related families, force officers (army, police & CIO) and senior businessmen.
The prevailing unjust legal position is such that, if a matter can be classified as “political”, as is the case with all matters relating to land, then the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) refuse to carry out their constitutional duties, leaving commercial farmers and farm workers unprotected by the law, which has been the case since March 2000.
Last week the number of farmers who were evicted through the courts doubled, with 152 of the estimated 400 remaining farmers currently facing prosecution. Five were found guilty of remaining on their farms and ordered to vacate their properties. They were also given fines of around US$300.
A total of 12 farmers and 34 workers have been convicted to date, heightening insecurity in the agricultural sector countrywide. Farmers who continue to occupy and use their farms face prosecution and imprisonment.
Court cases paralyse farming operations
Friedenthal Farm, Beatrice: The situation with respect to Mrs Hester Theron, a 79-year-old widowed farmer from the Beatrice area is a case in point. Mrs Theron, who owns Friedenthal, a dairy and beef producing farm, was taken to court, allegedly for refusing to vacate her property and for ignoring a fake offer letter given to the new owner, Mr Chagwadere. On October 22, Mrs Theron was found guilty and given an automatic eviction order. She has to return to court on November 5.
Innogo Ranch, KweKwe: The same day, KweKwe farmer Hermanus (Manie) Grove of Innogo Ranch faced continued harassment and intimidation, with drunken employees of the beneficiary of his farm breaking through the security fence. The intruders tried to force their way into the homestead and interfered with Mr Grove’s farm equipment and tractors. The situation became extremely tense and the KweKwe police were informed but failed to arrive on the scene.
Mr Grove is one of 79 farmers protected by the landmark Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal ruling of 28 November 2009. On Saturday 24 October 2009, Mr Grove approached his local MP, Mr Manangagwa to relieve the situation on the farm. Mr Grove was told by Minister Managagwa to vacate his farm because he, Mr Gove had gone to the SADC (Tribunal).
Karori Farm, Headlands: Soldiers threatened to shoot Charles Lock, the owner of Karori farm, when he tried to enter his property after the High Court granted him access to collect his belongings. The police said there was nothing they could do to make the soldiers adhere to the court ruling.
Chidza Farm, Masvingo: On October 6, police arrested Carl Pistorius of Chidza farm in the Masvingo area and took him to the police station where he was intimidated and harassed. They also attempted to fast-track his case in order to evict him. The offer letter for his farm is alleged to be fraudulent.
Mateke Hills Area, Masvingo: Two farm managers arrested on 26 October 2009 for allegedly contravening the Gazetted Land (Consequential Provisions) Act.
What has become apparent in most cases is that the direct orders – which were allegedly given to police, magistrates, prosecutors and lands officials via the document titled “Handling Land Cases” – have been used.
This document was issued in February by the Attorney the General’s office. It is believed to be a direct assault against the independence of the judiciary and also the Constitution because of its alleged prejudgement of cases before they come to court.
Furthermore, it is in direct contradiction of the “presumption of innocence” and is largely responsible for the aggressive actions of the new beneficiaries who are attempting to illegally evict the owners, without compensation.
A significant number of judicial officers who preside over cases involving commercial farmers, including the Chief Justice himself, are beneficiaries of the land reform programme.
Farmers face up to two years’ imprisonment if found guilty for remaining on their farms and in their homes “illegally”.
Displacement of farm workers
The General Agriculture and Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) reports that over 60,000 farm workers have been made homeless since February 2009.
Farm workers in Zimbabwe, who together with the farmers once constituted the backbone of the economy, are largely still unemployed, have no homes and are dependent upon humanitarian aid.
GAPUWZ says the new owners are not interested in carrying out farming – for them the properties are primarily a source of capital.
The union estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of farm workers in Zimbabwe have lost their jobs. GAPWUZ currently has 15,000 members, less than 10 years ago membership was closer to 200,000.
Competent farmers barred from producing food
In 2007 farmers were told that farms were available (or allowed to be retained) on a one-man-one farm and non-racial basis and were encouraged to make applications to the Minister of Agriculture through the A2 application forms.
Approximately 800 applications were made but to date no individual farmer has received confirmation or rejection of their application.
It is a well-known fact that a substantial amount of agricultural land has been abandoned and unutilised during the course of the fast track land acquisition programme. However, Zimbabwe’s commercial farmers, who are very highly rated internationally, and who have the knowledge and experience in high volume and high quality commercial production, are being denied access to their farms.
In February this year, the World Food Program (WFP) announced that it aimed to provide food assistance to 5.1 million people across Zimbabwe – the highest number of beneficiaries in a single month since the regional crisis began in 2002. In January, WFP assisted 4.3 million people.
Production decline between 2000 and 2008
- Maize (corn) -79%
- Wheat -90%
- Soya beans -65.85%
- Citrus -50
- Fresh produce -61%
- Dairy -58.82
- Beef -66.94
- Coffee -92%
- Tea -40.36%
- Tobacco (flue cured) -79.36 (a major foreign currency generator)
2009/2010 Season: too dangerous to plant
Owing to the ongoing violations of commercial farmers and their workers, the prosecution threats and lack of security of tenure, the majority of commercial farmers will not be able to plant crops this season.
The estimated tonnage of maize, the staple food crop, for the 2009/2010 season is just 500,000 tonnes from 2,043,000 tonnes in 2000.
Please email [email protected] for the full report with the graph as our website does not support graphs
Land audit
The failure to initiate a comprehensive and impartial land audit as directed by the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is viewed as a major impediment to progress in the resolution of both the land crisis and lack of production on remaining farms.
Compensation
Since the land reform programme began in 2000, compensation has only been paid for 203 farms out of the 6,571 gazetted farms.
Conclusion
The CFU has been exploring potential solutions, particularly regarding the elements of both compensation and restitution for our members and past members which are an essential component of recovery. The proposal, if accepted by our farming community, could provide a platform from which the agricultural sector and Zimbabwe as a whole could begin to recover.
Equally so it is important that Government stabilises the current agricultural sector. A suggestion that a moratorium on all new offer letters, disruptions and prosecution of farmers be announced.
Full production of commercial farmland would alleviate the necessity for the constant importation of essential food to Zimbabwe by the donor community.
It would also ensure that Zimbabwe is in a position once again to produce food for the SADC region, impacting positively on food security.
However, until there is sufficient stability in the agricultural sector to encourage substantial investment, Zimbabwe will be unable to produce sufficient food to satisfy the requirements of the country and the population will continue to depend on high volumes of food aid.
DEON THERON
PRESIDENT
COMMERCIAL FARMERS’ UNION