Intimidation of farmers intensifies but PM remains silent
By Alex Bell
29 September 2010
The intimidation of the country’s remaining commercial farmers is once again
intensifying, and there have been no attempts from the government,
particularly the Prime Minister, to prevent more illegal farm seizures.
Farmers across the country have turned to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
to put a stop to ongoing land attacks, which have continued regardless of
his presence in the unity government. But the pleas appear to have fallen on
deaf ears, and the situation is once again beginning to take an ugly turn.
Catherine Jouineau-Meredith’s Twyford Farm was burned to the ground earlier
this month by the ZANU PF senator who has led violent attacks on the
property since last year, claiming he has an ‘Offer Letter’ for the
property. Senator Jamaya Muduvuri moved on to the farm in March this year
after successfully evicting Jouineau-Meredith, who was ordered to leave the
farm and fined US$200 for occupying it “illegally”.
Muduvuri already owns Shiloh Farm near Kadoma, Mandalay and Brunswick farms
near Chegutu, and Hoffmarie Farm in Kadoma, clearly demonstrating that the
land grab has nothing to do with ‘land reform’. Twyford farm is now the
fifth property that he has grabbed to add to his collection of unproductive
pieces of land.
As a French citizen Jouineau-Meredith is meant to be protected by a
bilateral investment protection agreement, signed between France and
Zimbabwe. But this BIPPA, like others meant to protect foreign owned land in
Zimbabwe, has been completely ignored. Jouineau-Meredith also has a High
Court order from 2007 that recognised her rights to the farm. But again, the
total disregard for the rule of law in Zimbabwe means the court order has
offered no protection against illegal land invasions.
Senator Muduvuri has already looted the once productive farm of all its
crops and equipment, and Jouineau-Meredith has repeatedly called on Prime
Minister Tsvangirai to intervene over the past year. In March this year,
Tsvangirai’s office told Jouineau-Meredith to “disengage in Chegutu,” and
not try to recover her farm equipment and the rest of her belongings. She
was assured that a letter cancelling Muduvuri’s Offer Letter had been signed
by the Prime Minister and Vice President John Nkomo. But after several
attempts to get the letter, the Prime Minister’s office stopped
communicating with her and refused to return her calls.
Jouineau-Meredith wrote another letter to the Prime Minister’s office last
week expressing anger that there has been nothing but empty promises in
reaction to her plight.
“I am now seeking FULL COMPENSATION for the loss of my French BIPPA farm as
per the Land Reform Legislation regarding BIPPA farms. The farm represents a
FRENCH INVESTMENT in Zimbabwe and is therefore liable for compensation in
EURO the day it was taken away from me,” Jouineau-Meredith wrote.
Deon Theron, the President of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), told SW
Radio Africa on Wednesday that the situation “is returning to the old ways
when the land reform programme started.” He explained that he is also under
threat, again, after already losing three farms since 2000. Theron has been
living with his mother Hester, who was last year threatened with a jail term
for refusing to leave her dairy farm and home of 50 years. The elderly widow
was eventually granted a court interdict that stopped her eviction and was
meant to protect her from the ‘beneficiary’ of her property.
But Theron said that the harassment against him and his mother has
intensified despite the court order, and they are now locked out of their
home. Theron explained that land invaders, assisted by the police, have
managed to break into their home on the farm and lock the family out. The
CFU president said that although he has limited access to the farm, land
invaders have taken over and even the police have been involved.
“It is a very scary, tragic situation, and it can only spell out bad things
for the future of this country,” Theron said. “There is no respect for
international BIPPAs, no respect for our own courts, and as long as we don’t
have respect for the rule of law, then we are lost.”
Theron continued saying that similar incidents are occurring throughout the
country, where farmers have reported worsening threats and intimidation over
the last few weeks. He explained that the CFU has tried to get the
intervention of the MDC, to no avail, and even urgent pleas to the
co-Ministers of Home Affairs have been ignored.
“Things are getting very serious, and until someone from government stands
up and says that this is wrong, then we won’t have any change,” Theron said.