“White farmers cause chaos at Dr. Shamuyarira’s farm” – ZBC coverage
For those who have not experienced the peculiar perspective of Zimbabwe’s state-controlled media, here’s an example in the form of ZBC coverage of the legal struggle for Mount Carmel farm (published on Friday 12 June). Please note, this farm is protected by a SADC ruling. Follow the links at the end of this blog for full details and background on the Mount Carmel situation.
White farmers cause chaos at Dr. Shamuyarira’s farm
White farmers have regrouped themselves at Mount Carmel, a farm allocated to Zanu-PF Politburo member Dr Nathan Shamuyarira in Chegutu where they are causing chaos in clear desperate attempts to reverse the land reform programme.
The situation at Mount Carmel and Tyford farms in Mashonaland West Province was tense when ZBC News arrived.
The white farmers Bruce Campbell, Ben Freethe and Meredith had regrouped in their battle to try and evict ZANU PF politburo member Dr Nathan Shamuyarira and the party’s Central Committee member Cde Jimayi Muduvuri.
Dr Shamuyaria’s farm manager Cde Landmines Madongonda said on different occasions, the white farmers escorted by foreign journalists came to the farm to provoke the farm workers so as to create ugly scenes which could then be used to create false stories.
He said on Thursday the white farmers came and took away the farm workers’ food, clothes and a DDF tractor which was later recovered in Chegutu after being dumped there.
Cde Muduvuri who is facing the same problem said he is now worried about the constant visit and resistance by the white farmers and foreign journalists and says they are bent on stage managing events within the farms so as to come up with stories that tarnish the inclusive government.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Justice National Co-ordinator Advocate Martin Dinha warned the white farmers to stop playing games reminding them that the Global Political Agreement signed by the three political leaders has clearly stated that the land reform is a closed chapter that cannot reversed.
The new wave of farm disturbances by white farmers who are now working in cahoots with hired foreign journalists have been described by observers as blatant attempts bent on discrediting the inclusive government by stage managing some form of chaos within the farms.
Some sections of the western media have claimed that there are fresh farm invasions in Zimbabwe reports which have been dismissed as untrue by the inclusive government.
Archived blogs on Mount Carmel Farm
- Tonight is going to be a tense night: an update on Mount Carmel Farm – 11 June 2009
- Invasion into our house – Ben Freeth – 28 May 2009
- Flagrant violation of the rule of law on Mount Carmel farm – 16 April 2009
- “Mugabe and the White African” – 3 April 2009
- Zimbabwean farm evictions escalate despite the GPA – 18 March 2009
- CIO operative tells farm owners that the ‘President is the law’ - 10 March 2009
- Invasion of Mount Carmel Farm, Chegutu area, Mashonaland West – 25 February 2009
- SADC Tribunal to deliver landmark judgement on Zim farmers’ test case – 28 November 2008
- Zanu-PF regime’s legal team walks out of the SADC Tribunal hearing – 18 July 2008
- Zimbabwean farm hearing due tomorrow in Windhoek: considered a test case for the rule of law in the SADC region – 15 July 2008
- Abducted and tortured while Mugabe was being inaugurated – 30 June 2008
- Updated 30 June ~ 10.15 – Action Alert : Farm attacks taking place in Chegutu today – 29 June 2008
June 18th, 2009 05:22
On closer inspection, the key intent of ZANU-PF is clear from this propaganda piece, namely to ensure that land recently stolen by ZANU heavyweights from white farmers “is a closed chapter that cannot reversed”.
Issues of justice, compensation, racial ownership of land, and competence of new land owners will undoubtedly continue to engender heated discussion for some time to come. Unfortunately, this debate will be a red herring, distracting us from the real threat to future social justice
What I am most concerned about, is that it looks as if the MDC is making the same mistake as ZANU-PF did in 1980: i.e. focusing on gaining political power, but forgetting that real power lies with those who control the assets of production.
If ZANU-PF heavyweights are allowed to retain their ill-gotten gains (houses, money, businesses, factories, mines, farms) that they have acquired through Mugabe’s political patronage, they will cement themselves as the future controlling elite of Zimbabwe, able to buy political influence for the next century. Knowing how evil and duplicitous these people are, and how self-centred is their value system, it will be the common Zimbabwean and his children who will lose out again.
If the MDC really is a party of the workers and the common people, they must ensure that future political justice and equality is combined with economic justice and equality. We need a clean slate from which people can emerge and grow their wealth and influence based on contribution, merit and skills, not on theft and political connections.