Keith Nicholson, who left Raffingora to farm in the DRC and Zambia, had returned to Zimbabwe to retire at Mazvikadei Dam.
It’s understood that a group of four armed men gained entry to the Gold Dust Village at the Dam on Tuesday, pretending they were visiting a employee of Nicholson’s neighbour, Tim Morgan.
The men then managed to get inside Morgan’s house, where they tied up all the staff and ransacked the house. When Mr and Mrs Morgan returned home in the evening they were ambushed and tied up.
Mr Morgan was then forced into his Toyota twincab, apparently because his attackers wanted him to get them money from the local garage he owns.
While this was happening, Morgan’s wife was able to alert her neighbours, include Nicholson, who followed the stolen Toyota.
Charles Taffs, the president of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) told SW Radio Africa on Thursday that a “gun battle” then ensued with the thieves. Three of the group then ran into the bush away from the Toyota.
Nicholson, thinking that everyone had run from the vehicle, rushed forward to release Morgan. But he was shot dead by the fourth armed attacker, who then ran away. Morgan was uninjured.
“This is very tragic, but we feel it is a purely criminal act and not in any way related to the problems facing the farming community currently,” Taffs said.
Nicholson’s death comes weeks after Mvurwi farmer Colin Ziestman was beaten to death in his home, in an attack which Taffs has said is “more than just mere robbery.”
“We have a very heavy wave of intimidation against our members, and it gives the perception that things in Zimbabwe won’t improve,” Taffs said, adding that the lawlessness across the country is making matters worse.
He continued: “Behind the frontline politics is a desire to sort this all out and create a stable environment. This is a desire across all sectors. We are appealing for the politicians to deal with this, because the situation can’t carry on like this.” -SW Radio Africa
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