Judge Agonises Over Seized Farm
By Professor Matodzi Harare, February 14, 2013- A high court judge has
broken his silence about his agony over the seizure of his farm by
supporters loyal to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
Justice Francis Bere revealed his anguish about the seizure of his farm by
new farmers, who grabbed land under the Zanu PF backed land grab exercise in
an application filed in the high court early this month.
Bere accused two new farmers Basil Mharapara and his wife of sabotaging him
through destroying his crops at his Mount Maienji farm located in the rich
farming area of Odzi, Manicaland province.
He accused the farmers of leading the seizure of his farm allocated to him
in 2008 under the government’s widely condemned and often chaotic land
reform programme.
Bere accused the new farmers of committing several misdemeanors including
disturbing his farming operations.
“Their animals are causing serious damage to my crops and at one time, I had
to plant down a whole hectare of maize which had been destroyed by animals,”
Bere said in his founding affidavit seen at the high court by Radio VOP.
According to Bere, the new farmers in November last year ploughed down his
tobacco crop and replaced it with their own maize crop while their herd of
cattle always wonder “up and down his farm” disrupting operations.
The judge wants the high court to issue an order empowering the deputy
sheriff and the officer in charge of Odzi Police Station to evict the new
farmers and anyone claiming occupation of his farm.
The new farmers have not yet reacted to Bere’s litigation.