Eddie Cross

Yesterday, I took a draft flyer to a local printer and asked them to print it off on A5 sized paper for the local constituency committee. It was a cash transaction. They duly quoted me for the job and said I could get the printing back in a week.

This morning I was phoned (just a few minutes ago) by the firm to say that they had been visited by the Police and regretted that they could not do the job for me.

To say I am stunned by this turn of events is to put it mildly, so now we cannot get onto radio, or TV, the independent newspapers are bombed and harassed. We cannot hold meetings or rallies or demonstrate on the streets, we cannot put up posters or hand out flyers on street corners. Now we cannot get an ordinary commercial printer in the private sector to print a pamphlet for local distribution!

Just a question to Mbeki and Obasanjo - where do the people of this country go to get justice, democracy and freedom? Is this what Obasanjo meant when he told Howard that things were getting better in Zimbabwe.

Eddie Cross

Bulawayo, 25th February 2003.

As of March 1, 2003

The Herald on Thursday published a story that newly resettled farmers were beaten up by six soldiers, three policemen, some commercial farmers and about 40 hired toots. The publication alleged that they beat up the resettled farmers because the settlers were trying to stop the farmers from destroying irrigation equipment. As is true to form with state-sponsored press, it appears that this is a gross fabrication as to the facts on the ground. Here follows a prÈcis of the report given by one of the farm owners to the police.

On Tuesday 18th February 2003 at approximately 0730hrs, two white commercial farmers and some of the farm's employees went out to Mapanza Farm in order to dismantle two centre pivot irrigation systems situated at field sites CP 1 and CP 2.

At approximately 0830hrs, a Mr Mangofa, senior war veteran settler arrived and asked why they had not obtained his permission to dismantle the irrigation pivots. He said that they should abide by the laws of the State and that Mapanza belonged to the State.

The farmers replied that they did in fact respect the laws of the land and provided him with the original copies of their High Court Order setting aside the section 5 and section 8. These had previously been shown to the Police at the local station. This nullification meant that the property Mapanza now, once again, legally belonged to the two farmers. In any case the moveable assets do not fall under the Section 8 order.

Mr Mangofa accepted this evidence and left saying that they might have won the first round. One of the commercial farmers also left at this point, returning to Chiredzi.

At midday one of the farmer owner's drivers, who was taking equipment from the farm, reported that all the roads out of Mapanza were blocked with felled trees. The driver was instructed to return to one of the pump houses, CP 3.

At this point the farmer contacted his farm manager on the farm radio network and instructed him to contact the Police, as he felt that there was going to be trouble.

Shortly after this, another Mapanza employee reported to the farm owner that an ignition key had been removed by an A2 settler from one of the Nissan trucks parked at CP 3 pump house. At this time the farm owner was at CP 2.

Whilst he was still there, another A2 settler arrived in a light pick up truck carrying several people. He demanded that the dismantling operation was stopped immediately. There was some shouting from both sides, after which the A2 settler left with his passengers.

Shortly after this incident a number of Mapanza employees arrived, having run from pump house 3. The employees reported that A2 settlers were puncturing the tyres of two trucks parked at the pump house no. 3, a T35 3 tonne truck and a Nissan 7 tonne truck.

The party, working on CP 2, immediately stopped work and proceeded to pump house 3. By the time they arrived, the A2 settlers had left and their employees had run into a near by cane field. Four T35 truck tyres and four Nissan tyres had been destroyed. Diesel fuel had also been poured over the cab of the Nissan, both inside and outside, obviously with the intention of burning the vehicle. One hand-held radio and all the tools were stolen from the T35 truck.

After a short while a large group of A2 settler employees arrived and began threatening the farm owner and his employees. At this point the Farm manager arrived with a Police Officer. The Police Officer, after assessing the, by then, volatile situation, indicated he wanted to leave. The owner insisted that he remain. At this time the Police Support Unit arrived and defused the situation.

The District Administrator, Dispol, Mr Mangofa and a number of other people arrived at the scene. The farm owner was instructed to proceed to the Police Station and off load the dismantled equipment there, until such time as legal ownership could be established.

After this he left Mapanza for Chiredzi.

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Other reports in from people present indicated that towards the end of this incident an altercation occurred between the senior ZRP detail present, (DISPOL minor) and the senior CIO official. The argument centred on who had control in the district, police or CIO. The ZRP officer arguing for law and order and the moveable assets belonged to the farmers; whilst the CIO official was arguing ZANU-PF political policy that the equipment belonged to the settlers. Interesting! The Herald article reflected political propaganda and misreporting.