They were Ben Freeth, who along with his in-laws
Mike and Angela Campbell are challenging the Zimbabwe government’s land
policy, at the SADC Tribunal in Namibia. Earlier that day the same gang had
brutally assaulted another farmer in the area, Frank Trott on Twyford Farm.
He is part of the group of farmers who joined in with the Campbell case in
Namibia. There are 14 of them in the Chegutu area alone.
John Worsley Worswick of Justice for Agriculture said the beatings were
severe and Campbell suffered a broken collar bone, broken fingers and
serious concussion. His wife Angela has an arm broken in two places, while
one of Freeth’s eyes is so badly damaged it is causing the doctors great
concern.
The three were found around midnight, after being dumped by the gang.
Worswick said they had been beaten for a prolonged period of time during
which they were forced to sign papers, promising that they would withdraw
the Campbell case from the courts in Windhoek. Worswick said: “Now obviously
it has no force or effect on the case because they were forced to sign under
extreme duress.”
Worswick said Freeth and the Campbells were attacked and abducted by ZANU-PF
thugs led by Gilbert Moyo, who is notorious in the area for his violent
attacks on farms. He arrived at their Mt Carmel farm on Sunday, with an
armed gang that took the three into the house and beat them before forcing
them onto a truck. The Campbells’ son Daniel tried to rescue them at some
point, but was forced to stand down after at least 40 shots were fired by
the heavily armed gang. Moyo’s name has been provided to the police in
connection with several other cases of assault in the Chegutu area, yet he
has never been arrested or investigated.
The farmers were targeted specifically because of the SADC case. The attack
came just a day after the SADC Observer Mission to the runoff election
concluded that the atmosphere was not conducive to holding free and fair
elections. Several other farmers in Chegutu who attached their cases to
Campbell’s in Windhoek were also targeted, despite the fact that the
Tribunal issued an interim order last year, that said the Zimbabwe
government would not evict them or interfere with their operations, until
their case is heard.
According to Worswick, the government wants to take Campbell’s Mt. Carmel
Farm and he has fought eviction through the courts. But the government
passed new laws stipulating that the Zimbabwe courts could no longer hear
land cases, effectively taking away the farmers’ rights to challenge the
illegal acquisition of their properties. This is why Campbell took his case
to the regional courts in Namibia with the hope that he would finally get
justice there.
SWRadio Africa
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Post published in: News