Secret film implicates invaders

In Chipinge, former Member of Parliament for Chipinge South, Enock Porusingazi, is masterminding the invasions with the help of overzealous Zanu (PF) militia and war veterans. Porusingazi has got another farm in Middle Sabi and is targeting more farms in Chipinge.

Bias in the courts

Samuel Zuze, a Chipinge Magistrate, has presided over a case that he has interests in and convicted four white commercial farmers of refusing to leave their properties. Zuze last week convicted and sentenced Algernon Taffs, Dawid Jourbert, Mike Odendaal and Mike Jahme to pay US$800 fines and vacate their properties within 24 hours, but failed to declare that he was an interested party.

Zuze was given an offer letter signed by lands Minister Hebert Murerwa for Lot 8 of Newcastle, which is owned by Jahme of Silverton Estates. Some white commercial farmers in the country have appealed for international assistance to stop Zanu (PF) from seizing the remaining white owned farms by force.

In an interview with The Zimbabwean, the director of the film, who requested anonymity for fear of victimization, said: We have been shooting footage of the harassment of the white farmers in some parts of the country and we want to show the whole world the true picture of what is happening on the farms. It is horrible.

Harrowing footage

He said SADC tribunal in Namibia had ruled that the farm seizures were illegal and ordered the Zanu (PF) government to pay costs, but it was unfortunate that Robert Mugabes regime was continuously sending thugs to set fire to the commercial white farmers properties.

We will show all the evidence of how Mugabes regime has been harassing the white farmers and how the police and judiciary system has been inept. We have harrowing images of how the white farmers were beaten, how they destroyed everything owned by the white farmers and how they looted their property as well. I cannot divulge more information on the film, but it will be out very soon, he said.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai recently said the fresh spate of land seizures and threats were caused by wild behaviour and motivated by theft. Such actions must be condemned and Zimbabweans must decide what type of society they want to live in. Greed is driving the elements of resistance to invade productive land, he said.

The land reform programme has been agreed to and a land audit has to take place. A land commission will be set up and even the remaining white farmers must be covered so they should not be interfered with. Unless you are motivated by theft, how do you go in the middle of the agricultural season to start replacing farmers and disrupting their operations? At the end of the day you might think that you are disrupting a farmer, but you are actually disrupting the capacity of the country to earn the much required income, said Tsvangirai.

The Global Political Agreement (GPA) provides for a land audit and the establishment of a land commission to assess the usage of productive land.