Zanu PF activists invade farm
By Own Correspondent
Friday, 29 July 2011 15:06
HARARE – People claiming to be war veterans have invaded a plot owned by MDC
Constitution Select Committee rapporteur, Charles Nyamutowa in Nyanga’s
Juliasdale area, as violence and instability spreads across the country.
Six known Zanu PF activists claiming to be former liberation war fighters on
Tuesday invaded the 23-hectare self contained commercial plot and demanded
that he leave the property.
Nyamutowa, who is part of 23 people charged with political violence against
Zanu PF supporters in Nyanga, says he is being targeted for his political
affiliation.
He spent weeks in remand prison in February together with Nyanga North MP
Douglas Mwonzora and Rwisai Nyakauru, a headman who later died from injuries
after severe torture.
Nyamutowa’s lawyer Cosmas Chibaya of Chibaya and Associates confirmed to the
Daily News that he was handling the matter.
“We will go to court to seek an order for those people to leave,” said
Chibaya.
Chibaya said the invaders were still camped at the plot on which Nyamutowa
claims to have invested $12 000 borrowed from a commercial bank at a 12
percent annual interest rate.
He says an irrigated potato crop that is two weeks from harvesting could be
affected by the invasion.
“These guys just invaded my plot on Tuesday and demanded that I harvest my
crop that still requires two weeks of irrigation then leave. Worse still,I
have another set of seedlings ready for planting and have bought the
necessary inputs including fertilizer using the borrowed money.
“What am I supposed to do now,” asked the MDC official.
“I am black and as much a Zimbabwean as any of these people. The land reform
programme is supposed to be apolitical and benefit all of us.
“I have bonded my house in Nyanga to borrow money under the presidential
scheme that is supposed to cater for A1 farmers but now where do I go?
“They want me to lose everything I have worked for all my life in one swoop
just like that. It is unfair and inhumane,” said Nyamutowa.
By late yesterday, Nyamutowa was still on the plot as the standoff ensued
with the farmer vowing to stay put.
He told the Daily News that the invaders were stopping him from irrigating
his crop at a very critical stage of the its growth and to attend to his
livestock.
“I have reported the case to the police in Nyanga and the Officer-in-Charge
is handling the case.
“These same guys tried to invade my plot earlier this year and assaulted my
family while one of them tried to chop my head off with an axe.
“They were arrested but I was later persuaded by police to drop the assault
and attempted murder charges against the group after they promised to leave
me alone.
“It’s not easy to get a Zanu PF activist arrested but I will give it a try
and see what happens,” said the MDC activist.