Though I did not participate in the liberation struggle, I spent most of my active years fighting in several regional wars as a selfless member of the army. Benefitting from the land reform programme would have been an invaluable bonus after a hectic and eventful military career spanning more than 20 years.
Armed with an offer letter issued by the ministry of lands with approval of the district administrators office, I unsuspectingly settled on the allocated plot in mid-2008 with my family. Like any other new farmer I looked forward to a lucrative farming venture and to contributing towards the much-needed economic growth based on the agriculture sector.
As there was a human grave on my plot at the only area suitable for construction of family houses, the district administrators office allocated me a brick house under an asbestos roof next to the main farm homesteads. It was a neat four-roomed house which former farm workers said belonged to previous managers at the farm. This did not go down well with local bullyboy war veterans, Dengu and Muwezwa, who said houses under either asbestos or metal roof were the exclusive preserve of war veterans who had sacrificed their lives towards liberation of the country.
Misunderstandings with the war veterans have been the order of the day ever since I settled at the farm. Other new farmers have not been spared the wrath of Dengu and Muwezwa, who constantly harassed them for no apparent reason.
My dilemma came to its climax on October 29, when the two war veterans approached me at my plot. They said I should vacate the house as only war veterans were entitled to prominent structures and equipped grabbed from white commercial farmers.
As I tried to reason with them, they grabbed logs and beat me randomly all over the body breaking my left shoulder in the process. Since other villagers were away attending a Zanu (PF) meeting, there was no one to restrain them. They left me for dead. They were later arrested by police and detained for two days before appearing in court. They were given $50 bail each and would appear again in court soon.
Though I would have loved to be preparing my land for farming, I decided to stay in Marondera where I could easily access the courts and receive medical treatment. Unfortunately this has costing me precious farming time and I may not have the opportunity to plant crops in the 2010-2011 farming season.
If the land reform programme was ever meant to benefit the landless irrespective of liberation war credentials, what is this dog-eat-dog attitude at the farms for? It was unfortunate to learn that new farmers elsewhere were living in harmony in their communities. The Bonongwe Farm saga was one of those cases of hooliganism that has served to discredit the noble land redistribution project. Such incidents should be nipped in the bud in the interest of orderly resettlement.
Imagine I served in the army for the better part of my life expecting to be treated like an equal with other citizens only to face such humiliation later in life. I gallantly took part in external military campaigns in Somalia, Mozambique, Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) among others. I hope the law will take its course without fear or favour and bring the case to its conclusive end. I fully support fair distribution of land since it was every citizens right to access arable land.
A local traditional leader, Headman Tsimba, described the incident as unfortunate and not in the best interest of nation building and resuscitation of the recovering agriculture sector.
Marondera war veterans leadership led by Douglas Chitekuteke, warned new farmers against forgetting that fair labour practices, availability of schools, farms and land for the landless was a result of sacrifices made by gallant sons and daughters who fought for liberation of the country. It was high time only true patriots were rewarded with land ownership. Non-partisan farmers should be weeded off the land.
Elsewhere, in Chief Svosve area, new farmers and communal families whose support of Zanu (PF) was questionable continued to be victimised and forced off the land by overzealous Zanu (PF) members such as Antony Jera of Gomo Village, Faith Ngoma and Huni Mutizwa.
Post published in: News