Zimbabwe -- Minister threatens farmer, workers

ZWNEWS ^ | July 16, 2002

[Clive]

A farmer and her workers in Raffingora, north- west of Harare, have been threatened with violence by a government minister.

The owner and workers on Erewhon farm, have been told they must leave the property this week, or face forcible eviction by Zanu PF youth, war veterans, and the paramilitary police Support Unit.

Jean Simon, owner of Erewhon, earlier this month obtained a High Court order setting aside the Section 5 and Section 8 orders on her farm. Her court action was not opposed by the government, and copies of the judgement were served on the minister of agriculture, the police commissioner, and the local Chinoyi police station.

Yet Ignatius Chombo, minister of local government, and Zanu PF MP for the area, held a meeting on 14 July at nearby Katawa village where he warned the farmer and her workers to leave the farm, or face being beaten up by the Support Unit. He instructed his supporters to ignore the High Court order, and said that if Simon and her workers continued to resist the eviction he would send in the Black Boots, the unofficial name for the Support Unit, to beat them up.

He gave similar warnings to the owners and workers on Chinomwe Estate and Nyarugwe Farm.

This is not the first time that Simon has been harassed by Chombo. She has been abducted once before, has escaped from a second abduction attempt, and was jailed along with others for helping to monitor the presidential election, although charges were never brought to court.

Her 340 staff and their families face eviction. Her workers have not been allocated land on the farm. According to the lists of farm beneficiaries published in the state-owned Herald, Erewhon has been allocated to a Mr M Mudukuti of Ruwa, and to Mrs B Chanetsa, wife of the Mashonaland West governor Peter Chanetsa.

[Clive]

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