Army Enforces Land Grab

14th September 2002

The Mugabe Government is expanding the role of the Zimbabwe National Army which it has conscripted to implement its land programme, it emerged this week.

The army has of late been heavily involved in the enforcement of the land reform programme with officers reportedly evicting commercial farmers who defied the August 10 deadline.

Unofficial army sources this week said new recruits, mainly graduates from the Border Gezi Training Centre attested into the army, would be deployed onto the farms to effect evictions and help with logistics.

Justice for Agriculture, a commercial farmers' representative grouping challenging the legitimacy of the ongoing evictions, confirmed there was an increase in the army's involvement and use of firearms.

"Prominent faces of war veterans who spearheaded farm invasions since 2000 have suddenly disappeared," JAG spokesperson Jenni Williams told the Zimbabwe Independent yesterday.

"War veterans have been replaced by well-known military personnel who are behind the latest wave of ultimatums and evictions taking place in Mashonaland West, Central, and East."

She said the use of firearms, reported this week, had not previously been widespread.

"Firearms were used before but not at this rate, which makes the farming community suspect there is a change of personalities commanding the land seizures," she said.

JAG said at Renoc Farm owned by the Cochranes in the Karoi area, about 25 shots were fired on Wednesday.

"A group of 60-70 people arrived at the farm and three were armed with automatic shotguns and an FN," JAG said.

"At Mema Estates in Banket, one Major Murombedzi armed with an Uzi automatic rifle and in the company of two Libyans and others, forced the owner to flee his house last Saturday. At Wicklow Farm in the Selous area near Chegutu, the farm owners were last Thursday forced to temporarily leave their farm for security reasons following the police, army and CIO giving them 24-hours notice to vacate their farm," JAG said.

Blessing Zulu/Augustine Mukaro - Zimbabwe Independent