PRESS STATEMENT
It is with profound sadness, that we announce the passing away of Malcolm Francis and his beloved daughter Catherine Francis after having been so brutally attacked on their farm in the Guruve District in the North Eastern area of Zimbabwe whilst out on an evening walk.
The CFU and its members offer their most sincere condolences to the family and stand ready to assist wherever needed in this, their most difficult time.
Furthermore, we condemn this cowardly attack on an elderly man and a young woman and its barbaric brutality in the strongest of terms and find these actions wholly unacceptable to us as a civilised nation. In addition we are greatly troubled by the total silence from our authorities, as well as our leaders, around this event, so much so that we are left wondering if this crime was not sanctioned or condoned by some higher office. We most sincerely hope that this is not the case and that the relevant authorities such as the police force as well as others will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice. We would at this juncture like to remind those same authorities that there are many other murders and other atrocities committed over the last 14 years during the land reform exercise that are yet to be resolved and their perpetrators have yet to be identified and held to account.
The land reform exercise has and continues to see the arbitrary expropriation of land, property and other assets with no compensation from law abiding citizens who in turn have faced the selective application of the law and in many cases the total absence of the protection of that law. This has left our agricultural sector in a state of under – performance and apprehension with the resulting drop in overall production to alarming levels together with the knock on collapse of associated sectors as well as the Zimbabwe’s economy in general.
It is now no secret that we are an economy in crisis and that the average man, regardless of his background is now suffering. Equally, it is no secret that our government understands this and that some in Government are trying to put in place measures to reverse this crisis, as well as measures to encourage both local and foreign investment, which we strongly endorse and support. However, these brutal acts of murder, extortion and theft continuing in our sector fly in the face of these noble efforts to resuscitate our ailing economy.
We at the CFU have over recent years canvassed pragmatic and positive ideas and measures which if endorsed would see a rapid turnaround of the agricultural sector through the removal of conflict, as well as the reinstatement of an active land market, leading to a general economic expansion and capital gain across all sectors of people and the economy. There would be a return in confidence for all people participating in agriculture to make a vital contribution to food security and make Zimbabwe the bread basket of the region once again.
We further appeal for an immediate moratorium on land acquisition to be placed upon the agricultural sector to allow for confidence to be re-established in the short term to ensure success for the coming summer season, whilst a long term solution is sought. It is sad to note that the current winter crop will be the smallest on record due to this continued uncertainty.
We call on all Zimbabwean people, to let us work together to find a lasting solution to our internal crisis and furthermore to stand with us in solidarity against all forms of hatred and violence such as those that have so saddened us in recent days. Finally we call on our government leaders, to show us the strength of their leadership by working with us and other sectors of society in creating a strong and robust economy through unity of purpose and direction so that this beautiful country and its deserving people can maximise their true potential and live without fear.
END
Charles Taffs
President
Commercial Farmers’ Union
FRANCIS MEDICAL SUPPORT FUND
During the course of the past two weeks our farming community have been shocked by the horrific assault and subsequent death of two members of the same family in the Guruve farming area. The elderly father and his young daughter were rushed to hospital in Harare where they spent a week and more in ICU in a coma. They both underwent delicate surgery in an attempt to save their lives but sadly it was all in vain as the injuries were far too great.
The end result of this is that the remaining family members have now been left with the burden of a huge debt of medical aid shortfalls and extra expenses which they simply do not have the funds to pay. There were also no insurance policies to assist.
The President of the Commercial Farmers’ Union has therefore decided to send out this desperate appeal for donations to assist this grieving family. He has opened up a separate bank account which will be administered by the CFU all of whose accounts are properly audited every year. This special account will be open for inspection by any interested party on request.
All donations will be used for the following:
- Assist with medical bills;
- Pay funeral and memorial expenses;
- Assist with the relocation of the remaining family members.
Should there be any surplus to the requirements of the Francis family this will be transferred to the Farm Families Trust, which is still operating today giving very valuable assistance to dispossessed and destitute farmers and their families to meet some of their medical expenses and also relies solely on kind donations from the public.
Both of the above are extremely worthy causes for which we appeal to you for your most generous support.
Banking details are as follows:
FRANCIS MEDICAL SUPPORT
STANBIC BANK
MINERVA BRANCH
ACC. NO, 0240026089502
Branch Code: 3125
Stanbic Bank Swift Code is SBICZWHXAXX
Should direct deposits be made please ensure that you send us the full details by email to [email protected] so that you may receive a receipt for the kind donation.
Thanking you all so much for your support.
Yours sincerely
Charles Taffs
President
Commercial Farmers’ Union