HARARE - A farming rights group has warned that there is a final push to seize Zimbabwes last remaining handful of commercial properties, ahead of elections.
In the past few weeks, a number of farming families have been left destitute after their properties were seized by local officials from Zanu (PF).
These included the Connar family from Masvingo, who were forced to flee their farm after Zanu (PF) central committee member Clemence Makwarimba allegedly invaded the property. Makwarimba was said to have evicted the Connar family with the help of violent youth mobs who also beat up the farms workers.
Justice for Agriculture (JAG) said on Monday that there was a visible drive to seize what was left of commercial land before elections are called next year.
JAGs John Worsley-Worswick said the situation was deteriorating rapidly, with Zanu (PF) governors leading the final push for commercial land. He said that Zanu governors were running scared after the MDC contested their unilateral appointment by Robert Mugabe.
This is the last crack of the whip, because they know time could be running out to grab what they can, Worsley-Worswick said.
He added that another family had been left without anything when a local Chegutu official used hired youth militia to forcibly evict Dirk and Heidi Visagie. The couple, South African citizens, had been fighting off land invaders since 2001.
In their case, they were supposed to have the reassurance of the bilateral investment protection agreement (BIPPA) between Zimbabwe and South Africa, which is meant to protect South African farmers from land attacks.
Earlier this month, the couple won a High Court order offering them further protection, but the disregard for the rule of law in Zimbabwe has continued, leaving them open to attack.
Worsley-Worswick said there had been no word from South African authorities, despite the BIPPA, saying that the agreement and others like it account for very little when commercial land is still available for seizure.
In another case, a German company has been trying to stop the illegal seizure of a Mazowe farm, which is also meant to be protected by a BIPPA. The property has been taken over by Daniel Chirume, who claims he has an offer letter for the property. The company, Forrester Estate (PVT) Ltd, is also seeking to stop Chirume from taking 200 head of cattle, 50 hectares of irrigated tobacco, 50 hectares of maize and 10 hectares of peas.
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