Nyazura farmers under siege by farm invaders
By Alex Bell
20 July 2011
Commercial farmers in Nyazura are living in fear, after a spate of farm
invasions led by a self confessed CIO agent, who is said to be working for
top ZANU PF officials.
Farmer Koos Smit, his wife Mary Anne and son Michael, were on Wednesday
virtually trapped inside their house on De Rust farm, after farm invaders
tried to evict them on Tuesday. The family refused, and on Wednesday a mob
of thugs turned violent, vandalising property and trapping them inside their
home.
A source told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that the mob has been hired by an
individual called Onisious Makwengura who has been leading invasions on
Nyazura farms since March. The De Rust farm is the fourth property that
Makwengura has invaded since then, in the name of ZANU PF officials.
In March he led the successful eviction of the Grobler family, before
turning his attention three days later to evicting farmer Tivi Landos. Last
week Makwengura then tried to evict Landos’ elderly father, who managed to
negotiate his ‘voluntary’ move off the farm. The 80 year old farmer, rather
than fight his unlawful eviction, agreed to leave his farm within 30 days.
Makwengura is said to be working for ZANU PF ‘beneficiaries’ of Robert
Mugabe’s destructive land grab campaign, and follows the same modus operandi
for every eviction. In exchange for items like tractors and other equipment,
Makwengura hires a gang of youths to help intimidate farmers, until they are
forced to leave.
SW Radio Africa’s source said the gang gives the farmers three hours to
leave, threatening violence if they do not. When the farmers try and
approach the police, Makwengura gives false statements to police officials
about the farmers, usually leading to the farmers’ arrest.
“So while the farmer is behind bars, Makwengura and his thugs move in and
take what they can from the property,” the source said.
The Smit family from De Rust farm recently won a hard fought for court
order, meant to protect them on their farm. Makwengura meanwhile insists he
is well connected with top officials in the lands ministry, CIO and police,
and farmers are said to be desperately afraid of what could happen to them.