Posted on 08/16/2002 2:22:39 AM PDT by Clive
THE Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) has started to dismantle its structures and downsize staff in the face of a bleak future for the sector as the terror campaign to force farmers off the land intensifies following President Robert Mugabe's endorsement of evictions over the Heroes Day holiday.
Out-going Cattle Producers Association chairman Tim Reynolds confirmed the CFU was trimming the size of its secretariat in tandem with the number of farmers who would be able to pay their membership fees next year.
"The organisation does not have money to support a huge staff complement since most of its members would not be able to pay their levies as they cannot farm next year," Reynolds said.
He said more than 90% of the CFU members were on Section 8 notices and their future was bleak. Matabeleland regional chairman Mac Crawford confirmed the staff reduction which he said was essential to survive the on-going reforms.
"We have lost a number of our members so we have to downsize to a level which can be supported by our revenue," said Crawford.
"The main departments to be affected would be the commodities section and head office. The regions would not be affected."
The CFU secretariat is wholly-funded by members through levies and membership fees. An official at the CFU offices yesterday said the on-going restructuring exercise at their head office would reduce the secretariat by half to cut costs as the union's revenue base diminishes.
"The first posts to be affected are those of the two vice- presidents and deputy directors," the official said. The CFU has vice-presidents responsible for commodities and regions.
"The downsizing will affect the various producer associations which form the structures of the union," the official said.
The CFU is also expected to lay off administrative staff at its head office in Harare. The CFU structures comprise eight regional chairmen and their regional executives, 10 commodity chairmen, a water committee, a research division, extension and environment committee as well as 71 farmer associations.
The future of the CFU has come under serious threat with some of its members accusing the organisation of failing to effectively tackle government over the land reform programme. Some members have broken away to form another grouping, Justice for Agriculture.
The government has also threatened to ban the CFU as long as it remains "confrontational" towards state policies on land.
Problems in the CFU began to show in the past two weeks with their website not being updated. Their weekly bulletins were last updated in March.
She is now spokesperson for Justice for Agriculture.
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