Since the leaders of the MDC and ZANU PF put their signatures to the long awaited deal, there have been fresh farm invasions in Manicaland, with at least 4 farms in the Vumba area being taken over. Another 2 farms in Old Mutare have also been invaded, with the invaders apparently brandishing fake’ offer letters from State Security and Lands Resettlement Minister Didymus Mutasa.
A recent report on farm disruptions indicates that there has been a definite upsurge in the increase of offer letters being issued by Mutasa, with a high percentage of the new beneficiaries’ being part of the military. The new beneficiaries’ of the land have been arriving on many properties, claiming immediate access to homesteads and crop lands. A further threat to productive farmers has also come from the recent promise to give land to Chiefs, who have allegedly not benefited from the land reform programme.
Meanwhile, according to a weekend report by the Commercial Farmers Union
(CFU) at least 35 white farmers have been forcibly evicted from their properties since the deal was signed two weeks ago. The main farmers’ body in the country said state security agents and war veterans have led new farm invasions that it said were taking place in almost all of the country’s eight provinces.
John Worsley-Worswick from Justice for Agriculture told Newsreel on Tuesday that there are grave concerns of more invasions, and explained that there has been distinct escalations’ of attacks since both the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the power sharing deal. He said both occasions prompted an expectation of the return to rule of law’, but instead saw a, last ditch grab by hierarchy officials, including war veterans and high ranking ZANU PF members, for land and moveable assets.
The latest farm invasions are certain to disrupt preparations for the new rain season that is weeks away, this in a country suffering acute food shortages and needs to mobilise every farmer to grow as much as they can to end hunger.
 SWRadio Africa