Just after the MDC opposition was formed in 1999 a CNN news’ team was
invited to witness Morgan Tsvangirai receiving cheques to bolster his
newly created party. The fund-raising was filmed on a farm owned by
John Brown, a former Commercial Farmers’ Union president. It has to be
said that this display of support in the public domain was akin to
waving a red rag at a mad bull. Mugabe was enraged.
There was more provocation to come.
In the year 2000 the MDC campaigned successfully against the
government’s constitutional referendum. That defeat was Mugabe’s first
since he came to power as a Prime Minister in 1980, and although
outwardly he appeared calm, behind a deceptively masked expression he
was livid.
Whites removed
The resounding constitutional referendum "No" vote was partly due to a
massive mobilisation of farm labour from the white commercial farms.
Almost every farm employee who could vote was transported to the
polling booths, and most were persuaded to vote the way their bosses
wanted. However the much vaunted referendum win was to be a short lived
celebration, and it was to herald the beginning of the end for
Zimbabwe’s white farmers. The dictator was about to forcibly remove
them.
Mugabe was very much aware of the political power being wielded by the
organised food producers in the countryside. He had lost support in the
urban areas, and he couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate any threats to the
rural vote. It didn’t take Mugabe long to realise that evicting the
white farmers would solve numerous problematic issues.
Why support evictions?
First and foremost he would rid himself of a small but influential
ethnic group that dared to challenge him. Secondly promises of land
would help placate the restless war veterans. Thirdly he could reward
his many sycophants with large estates. And finally land was an
indisputable vote catcher.
Having successfully achieved his objective of eliminating most of the
white farming community, why then does he continue supporting evictions
against the few hundred that are left? Could it be because the white
farmers’ friend and mentor Morgan Tsvangirai is now their beloved Prime
Minister in the unity government?
Indeed what better time could he have chosen for flaunting his absolute power, and for exacting such final and sweet revenge?
BY MIKE ROOK
Post published in: News