Ken Bartholomew, from Wakefield Farm in Selous, details the attempted eviction he suffered at the hands of Zanu (PF) heavyweights in November. (Pictured: Many commercial tobacco farmers have been unable to plant for next years harvest)
SELOUS – On November 27 at 12.30pm Felix Pambukani and about 15 to 20 other men arrived at my gate demanding to know why I was still on the farm and why I was planting tobacco. Ministry of Lands men from Chegutu, one of them called Tony Makoshoni and another a Mr Chikadayi, were among the throng. I was told that Kunonga was waiting at the Selous Police station.
Despite the fact that I showed them a letter from the Governor and Provisional Lands office clearly stating that I have been given permission to carry on farming for the 2009/2010 season, they still demanded that I stop all farming at once. They then left and proceeded to the house that they have already evicted my manager from. The next day I was called to the gate again where I was met by a man who introduced himself as Jesus. He was accompanied by more than 20 other men claiming to be ex-combatants. They were all drunk.
Jesus claimed to have been sent by the President with orders to have me evicted. He told me to get out the house and off the farm within 30 minutes, and that we were to take only personal belongings, as everything else belonged to them. He stated that he and his men would forcibly remove us and would “help” us pack if we did not comply. I sent my two daughters off the farm, but continued as normal. I phoned the police for assistance and was told to wait as they had no transport. More vehicles arrived throughout the afternoon and the crowd got louder.
My guards were chased away and my workers stayed indoors as they sensed trouble. At 8pm the police finally arrived. They told the thugs not to incite violence and said that they had no right to evict us. The police left at 10pm. At midnight I was awakened by my guards as other vehicles had arrived with armed men. I was informed that these new arrivals were guards, and that they had been brought in to guard the workshop area that belonged to Pambukani. As I write (on November 29) the men are still here, but not doing anything. I do not know what today or tomorrow will hold.
Post published in: News