HARARE BUSINESSMAN IN FRESH FARM SEIZURE
Veneranda Langa
Senior Reporter
Suspected war veterans yesterday stormed Fox farm at Pamona in Harare and forced the owner, Desmond Fox, to leave immediately to make way for a new owner, a beneficiary of the land reform programme.
When NewsDay visited the farm in the afternoon yesterday, Fox, who said he has been farming there for the past 47 years, was already packing his belongings under the watchful eye of the suspected war veterans.
Sources at the farm who spoke on condition of anonymity said Fox’s farm was being taken over by a local businessman, Eddie Kadzombe.
They said Kadzombe had links with Zany PF.
“The war veterans – about ten of them – pounced on the farm ten days ago, brandishing an offer letter, which we suspected to be fake. They told Fox to pack his bags and leave the farm,” said a source.
“Since that time they have been at the farm and Kadzombe also visited five days ago and ordered Fox to leave so that he could take over,” the source said.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Kadzombe admitted that he was taking over the farm. He however denied that the ten men who had invaded the farm were war veterans.
“There is not even one war veteran amongst the young men who have forced Fox to leave the farm. Those are Fox’s workers who are not happy with their working conditions and they want him to leave to make way for a black farmer,” said Kadzombe.
He also maintained that his offer letter was genuine.
“That is State land and I was allocated that land by the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement. Millions of Zimbabweans have benefitted from the land reform programme and I also deserve to benefit,” he said.
Kadzombe said Fox had been given a month to vacate but he had been refusing to do so.
“The offer letter says you have to take possession of the farm within 30 days and employ all the farm workers. I will incorporate all the workers and I do not need Fox’s potato crops. I will allow Fox to come and harvest his crop because what I only want is land,” Kadzombe said.
The farm is renowned for producing high quality potatoes, soya beans and maize.
Kadzombe said if the offer letter in his possession was a fake one, then there would be need for a police report and the matter should also be reported to the Ministry of Lands and Rural resettlement.
However, the Commercial Farmer’s Union (CFU) yesterday said it was worrying that production at most farms in Zimbabwe remained under threat due to farm invasions.
The CFU president Deon Theron said farm invasions were continually happening although there were now isolated incidents.
“About 100 farmers throughout the country are currently under pressure to leave their farms and obviously production suffers. Sometimes farmers are wary of reporting cases of farm invasions because media attention can worsen the situations and put their lives in danger,” said Theron.