New strategy, special congress for CFU

The CFU said its top leadership spent the early part of last week in a closed brainstorming session to map out a new strategy and restructuring arrangements for the union.

It decided to bring in consultant Rob Ward, who is expected to tour the country from 5-13 October to engage farmers and interested parties and collect their opinions and input to map out a way forward as well as restructuring the union.

Ward specialises in strategic planning, organisational development and strategic mentoring and has a wealth of experience in change management in large private sector companies, non-governmental organisations and government departments.

He is expected to gather the farmers views on the restructuring of the organisation as well as he CFU constitution.

This would be followed by the results being presented to council at a workshop in preparation for presentation at the proposed special congress which will be held in November this year, the union said in a notice to members.

Zimbabwes beleaguered white farmers have shown growing frustration at failure by the countrys coalition government and their union to end chaos in the farming sector.

The unity government of Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has watched helplessly as members of the security forces and hardliner activists of Mugabes Zanu (PF) party intensified a drive to seize all land still in white hands.

The coalition government is yet to act to fulfil the promise to restore law and order in the key agricultural sector, while more farms including some owned by foreigners and protected under bilateral investment protection agreements between Zimbabwe and other nations have been seized over the past few months.

And to make matters worse, according to the CFU, police and judicial officers who are supposed to enforce the rule of law were also among the beneficiaries of the free-for-all land grab.