Eviction leaves farm workers stranded
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Monday, 19 December 2011 10:40
HARARE – The recent demolition of lodgings at Bromley Farm has left former
workers scrounging for shelter as rains continued to pound and destroy their
belongings.
Bromley farm was once a tobacco processing concern before the former white
owner Lombard deserted the venture to live at an old people’s home in
Marondera leaving workers without salaries.
Lombard, instead decided to sell the property to one Samson Chauruka who is
now evicting former workers and destroying all their lodgings.
There was mayhem at the farm as police and hired gangs descended on the
property forcibly evicting tenants.
While it was to be a dark day for the residents, it was even bleaker for
Kariot Tengwe (84), a blind father who has known no other home except the
farm.
“I have nowhere to go, I do not know what these people want me to do,”
Tengwe bemoaned while standing close to a small mud hut that was spared
demolition after passionate pleading with the hammer-wielding gang by other
farm workers touched by the octogenarian’s impending plight
“I first came here when I was young and I do not have any relatives in
Zimbabwe. I wonder whether this is fair because I married from this farm. My
children are at this farm and I do not have anywhere else to go,” a
sad-looking Tengwe said.
While focus could be on the old man, close to 150 families faced the similar
fate.
The families were left in the open with their children and belongings at a
time the rain season is at its peak.
In a development viewed as a reversal of the country’s fast track land
reform programme of 2000, the affected families’ only hope now lies on
politicians and courts.
Scores of dejected farm workers gathered around the farm situated 46
kilometres from Harare along the Harare Mutare road.
They had huddled together with their belongings which were destroyed by
heavily armed police officers during the forceful eviction.
The police ganged up with “hired bouncers” to raze the farm compound to the
ground in typical operation (Drive Out Trash/ Murambatsvina) restore order
fashion.
Like Tengwe, Laston Dinala who is also an elderly farm worker in his late 60’s
was left stranded as he had no clue how he would provide shelter to his
family in the wake of the current downpours.
“My belongings are now along the railway line and I have nowhere to go. I
have worked on this farm since I came into the country from Malawi in 1963
and I wonder if this is what President (Robert) Mugabe wants,” said a gloomy
Dinala.
Tengwe’s problem is further complicated by the fact that he had no money to
move from the farm to any place nearby.
For the past three years, these workers have not received anything from the
farm owner and if they were to go, it meant that they would have lost out on
their dues.
“He (Chauruka) has not paid our salaries and gratuity so we cannot go
anywhere,” he added.
Joseph Chihuri, Zanu PF Goromonzi South youth secretary for security, said
the move was at cross purposes with what his party leader President Robert
Mugabe preached at the just ended Zanu PF national conference.
“It pains us to see people who have lived here for so long being evicted.
They have put their effort to build these houses and now they have to leave
their parents’ graves behind,” he said.
“We are in fact losing votes and this will also bring back cholera because
there is no shelter and children will get sick,” Chihuri added.