An account of harrassment and intimidation on Wakefield Farm
Our recent action alert (please click here to take action), asking everyone to demand for an end to the lawless activities affecting several farmers and their families in the Chugutu area, briefly mentioned the situation on Wakefield Farm (Selous neighbours the Chegutu area). Ken Bartholomew, the farmer, has detailed his family’s experiences since Friday last week. The following was circulated by JAG email.
FRIDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2009
12.30PM: Felix Pambukani and about 15 to 20 other men arrived at my house gate demanding to know from me why I was still on the farm and why was I planting tobacco and what was I doing? 2 Ministry of Lands men from Chegutu – one of them being a Mr. Tony Makoshoni – ID number: 70-010006 G 38 and a Mr Chikadayi was also amongst these men and Kunonga was waiting at the Selous Police station.. DESPITE being told by myself and shown a letter from the Governor and Provisional Lands office – clearly stating that I have been given permission to carry on farming for the 2009/2010 season they still demanded that I stop all farming at once. They then left and proceeded to the house that they have already evicted my manager from.
SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2009
2.15PM: I was called out by my guards to the house gate where I was met by a man stating his name as Cde Jesus and a good 20 or more men claiming to be “ex-combatants”, all clearly drunk. This Cde Jesus – claims to have been sent by the President with orders to have me evicted! He told me to get out the house and off the farm within 30 minutes and that we were to take only personal belongings, as everything else belongs to themhe stated that he and his men would forcibly remove us and would “help” us pack if we did not comply. My 10 year old daughter at this stage was getting overwrought and visibly upset at what was happening. My wife and I decided that in their best interests we would send our 10 year old and 2 year old daughters and a friend that was staying with them off the farm for their safety. My eldest daughter’s last tearful words to my wife were “Will I see you again Mommy??” My driver managed to get them off the farm to friends for safety.
I decided to carry on as normal – having phoned the police for assistance and being told to wait as they had no police vehicle with which to react.the “thugs” had returned to Mr Pambukani’s place of residence – my manager’s house and proceeded to drink and carry on loudly. Quite a few vehicles arrived during the afternoon – adding up to about 15 vehicles in all.
In the meantime I was giving out rations to my labour as normal .. my labour sensing that trouble was brewing, decided to stay in the workshop area and near my house.
Mr Pambukani had also chased my guards away from my gates and placed his own locks on the gates.
The “thugs” were overheard talking and saying that “someone would die if we did not vacate the farm”. They were milling around the workshop and keeping a presence known.
8.00pm: – the police eventually arrived. The police talked to Mr Pambukani and the men that were there and told them not to incite violence of any nature and that they had no right in trying to evict us from our house. The police also had words with me – asking why had I “mobilized” my labour-force? After a lengthy talk – the police left at 10pm.
At midnight I was awakened by my guards as other vehicles had arrived and this time with armed men. I was informed that these new arrivals were guards and that they had been brought in to guard the workshop area as this area belongs to Mr Pambukani and that we had in fact been the ones inciting violence and that I had mobilized my labour force against them.
SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER 2009
10am: As I write this they are still here but not doing anything. I just do not know why they are spending all their monies playing all these games instead of using it on production on the land they have being given.
MONDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 2009
I just do not know what today is going to bring.
December 1st, 2009 20:13
What has Chegutu done to deserve this kind of treatment? All the farmer wants is to be left to farm his land – yes HIS land – in peace. Not one of those farmers who are being victimized right now stole anything. Their farms were bought and paid for, developed into the best farms that they could be. Not one of those farmers begged from the government for hand-outs – their lifes’ savings and hard work have gone into their land.
NOW SOME DRUNKEN THUG WITH HIS DRUNKEN HANGERS ON THINK THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. Don’t give me that c…p about correcting past imbalances – we all know that the Land Reform Programme is all about political power closely followed by blantant theft and greed.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
December 2nd, 2009 01:20
@Tsitsi –
Exactly4
December 2nd, 2009 07:06
When will the rot stop. Wake up world
December 2nd, 2009 15:49
@saddened – it will only resolve itself when the eyes of the world fall on Zimbabwe fully! it saddens me as our hometown is Chegutu and we know all the farmers concerned! Pray for our beloved homeland
December 3rd, 2009 04:10
This is madness – these thugs should leave the poor farmer and his family alone. No wonder Zimbabwe is no longer the “bread basket” of Africa.
December 7th, 2009 13:11
this treatment of Chegutu is a clear indication of an extensive militarization of the country side through the deployment of military agents.
to me this is a worrying and unacceptable guardianship by local authorities.
January 11th, 2010 18:04
@Tsitsi – Pambukani? Felix Mhlanga who served a prison sentence after stealing from Lonrho? Cry my beloved country! Indeed I cry for Zimbabwe!
February 7th, 2010 14:15
…. thoz farms wer never bought kenny got it from his father who was a farmer and he inherited that ….these farms wer stolen from ur ancestors@Tsitsi -
February 9th, 2010 09:40
I feel the farmers remaining on their farms (10 years after the land distribution programme started) think they are terribly aggrieved and the only ones who have been dealt a bad blow. The British colonized Zim, claimed the land and sold it to whites who were invited into the country. Those of us who lost our livelihood and homes should have been in London long ago, handcuffed to the railings of 10 Downing Street and making a lot of noise – for compensation! They are responsible and they have washed their hands of us.
February 19th, 2010 19:58
The roots of these problems go years and centuries behind. I think that both, whites and blacks, should put their brains to work and find a solution for future. History can’t be changed but we can all make something better of tomorrow!
February 22nd, 2010 12:48
I cannot see how anyone can condone these farm invasions and shocking violence against white farmers. Apart from anything else Zimbabwe needs them and they have every right to be there.
No one is saying that the colonisation of Rhodesia was completely fair to the natives and so for that reason some land reform to redress some of those imbalances was definitely necessary; but not this…