Farm workers face outreach backlash
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by MAXWELL CHAITWA
Friday, 20 August 2010 14:54
SHAMVA — For Madziwa Muchemwa* (24) the coming of the constitutional
committee’s outreach team to hold meetings here in Shamva was like a dream
come true.
The meeting held at the local Mumurwi School last month was the first time
ever that Muchemwa and his fellow farm workers were being consulted on how
they wanted Zimbabwe governed.
The farm workers grabbed the opportunity, as the cliché goes, with both
hands.
For someone whose livelihood is from the soil Muchemwa rose during the
meeting to demand a new charter that guarantees land to all who love to till
the soil or raise animals for a living.
A victim of political violence two years ago Muchemwa also made sure to tell
the team from the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) that the
new constitution must have clauses outlawing the use of violence to acquire
or retain political power.
The MDC line
Had he known he would not have uttered even a single word during the
meeting, especially the first point about land allocation.
For unbeknown to Muchemwa and his colleagues who spoke during the outreach
meetings, war veterans and Zanu (PF) militia who also attended the meeting
would follow up later on all who had made contributions that were not in
line with President Robert Mugabe’s party’s views on the new constitution.
Speaking from his brother’s house in Harare where he has sought refuge,
Muchemwa accused some newly resettled farmers — who claim to be war
veterans — of targeting for attack anyone whose contributions during
constitutional outreach meetings appeared to back the views of the MDC
party.
“On the night after the outreach meeting, five men claiming to be war
veterans knocked on my door and asked me to come out so that they could
‘deal with me’ for standing up to present ‘the MDC line’ at the meeting,”
said Muchemwa.
According Muchemwa, his crime was to call for a peaceful and equitable land
redistribution programme which the mob said was a call to reverse Mugabe’s
chaotic and bloody farm redistribution programme of the last decade.
From his experiences in 2008, Muchemwa knew it would be folly to come out as
demanded by the mob.
“I refused to come out, they threatened to burn my house but I dared them to
do it. I told them I was calling the police on my mobile phone and that is
when they went away, promising to come back to deal with me,” Muchemwa told
The Zimbabwean on Sunday last week.
Muchemwa did not wait for the mob to return, feeling to Harare early in the
next morning to seek refuge with his brother who stays there and in the
process joining, according to the farm workers’ union leaders, a growing
number of farm labourers displaced by political violence that has
accompanied the outreach exercise.
Punching bags
According to the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of
Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ), some people claiming to be war veterans are tracking down
farm workers, harassing and beating them for making contributions that are
contrary to Zanu (PF)’s views during outreach meetings.
The union fears the increasing attacks against farm workers could be the
beginning of a fresh wave of political violence in farming communities amid
increasing talk of new elections next year.
The Southern African Development Community summit held in Namibia last week
stepped up pressure for new polls in Zimbabwe, urging the Zanu (PF) and the
MDC formations to conclude implementation of their power-sharing agreement
and enact a new constitution to pave way for a new vote.
Harare-based political commentator Freddy Nyamadzawo said resurgent violence
on farms and across the country was meant to instill fear among voters ahead
of the constitutional referendum and possible elections later.
He said, “since it is foreseen that the referendum is likely to be held in
February next year, Zanu (PF) has already begun trying silence those who
speak out against (Zanu PF)’s position).”
GAPWUZ general secretary Gertrude Hambira condemned politicians and their
supporters for using farm workers as pawns in political violence.
“Farm workers have faced numerous human rights abuses, already nearly a
million have been displaced since 2000 and thousands have been targets of
pre-election violence,” said Hambira in a telephone interview.
“It is sad that some misguided elements continue to see farm workers as
punching bags and second class citizens who cannot fight for their rights,”
she said.
While many Zimbabweans will agree with the trade unionist’s observations
they would probably add that it is not only the farm worker that is a
potential political punching bag but every voter who dares cross Zanu (PF)’s
line.
*Not his real name.