The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) said the brazen attacks were taking place on a weekly basis, a development it said was very unsettling because no one knows who will be the next victim. The worrying thing, though, is that they have stolen several weapons during their spate of robberies which makes them even more dangerous, the union said last week.
In one of the incidents, a Centenary farmer and his wife were viciously attacked with bats and knives by unknown people and are fighting for their lives at a private Harare hospital.
No one has been arrested and the couples family has put a US$15 000 reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of those behind the attack. In another incident, another farmer and his wife in Gweru were viciously attacked, tied up and robbed. The farmer was shot in the shoulder during the attack. One of the members of the gang was recently arrested in lower Gweru and found to be in possession of a stolen digital camera, which the gang had used to take some pictures of themselves with.
The printed pictures are now in possession of the police as evidence. However, the police has still not acted although the suspects are now known. No comment could be obtained from police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena. The CFU last month accused unemployed Zanu (PF) youths of being behind the surge in armed robbery cases in Makoni and other areas after they were dumped by their political masters.
The union said several Zanu (PF) thugs who were employed by senior politicians in December 2009 to evict white farmers were now stranded after their masters failed to pay. Faced with a bleak future, most of the thugs have turned to crime for survival. Hordes of Zanu (PF) supporters, so-called war veterans and members of the army and police stepped up farm invasions almost immediately after the formation of the inclusive government in February 2009.
Post published in: News