Farmers forced into hiding as arrests and invasions continue

A wave of fresh farm invasions and arrests has forced many of Zimbabwe's
remaining white farmers into hiding, to avoid the very real threats of
arrest, harassment and violence.

In the past few weeks, farmers have come under siege in what is being
described as a last-ditch effort by ZANU PF loyalists to complete the Robert
Mugabe initiated land grab, which has already seen the white farming
population cut to about 400 farmers. The offensive against the farmers came
just days before Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister earlier
this month. Almost 80 farms have since been seized in clear violation of the
unity deal between the MDC and ZANU PF, which calls for the return of the
rule of law and also says that farmers should be encouraged to produce food.

Commercial Farmers Union President Trevor Gifford, on Friday called the
fresh farms invasions a 'final assault' against the remaining white farmers
and described a clear "planned agenda by a third force in the government
that is hell-bent on destroying the unity deal." Gifford explained that,
according to minutes of secret meetings seen by the union, Zimbabwe's
Attorney General Johannes Tomana has instructed police and magistrates to
fast track farm evictions across the country, in a clear and coordinated
effort that is already well under way.

"These are senior ZANU PF members using their offices to ensure ethnic
cleansing can take place before the Prime Minister is able to stabilise the
country," Gifford said.

Tsvangirai on Wednesday ordered police to "bring the full weight of the law"
down on the perpetrators of the farm invasions. But, on the same day, farmer
Mike Campbell was ordered to leave his land, by the nephew of ZANU PF's
spokesman, Nathan Shamuyarira. Although the threatened seizure has not yet
happened, Campbell and his wife have both left the property to avoid an
attack. Campbell is still frail after a brutal beating when he was abducted
by invaders last year. At the same time, farmer Paul Etheredge is behind
bars in Chegutu after he was arrested, also on Wednesday, and invaders have
reportedly taken over his Stockdale farm. Etheredge, along with Campbell and
77 other farmers, won a landmark farm test case that was taken to the SADC
Tribunal in Windhoek last year, and the farm invasions are a blatant
transgression of the protection supposedly offered by the Tribunal's ruling.

The CFU's president reiterated on Friday that the SADC ruling is being
wilfully ignored, explaining that the Attorney General has instructed
magistrates to ignore previous court orders protecting farmers and their
land, and in particular to ignore the SADC ruling. More than 100 farmers
have already been caught in the coordinated effort to seize the remaining
farms, and reports of threats as well as arrests are piling up. A Chiredzi
farmer, who spoke to SW Radio Africa on condition of anonymity on Friday,
has already left his farm. He said that most farmers in his area have gone
into hiding for fear of arrest and prosecution. The farmer described the
invasions as a 'witch-hunt' and explained the charges being brought against
those farmers already arrested, carry jail terms of up to 6 months.

"Everyone is just trying to lie and low and see what happens, but we don't
know how long we'll have to wait?" the farmer said.