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Zimbabwe Report

Temba Mliswa and thugs beat farmers and police officers

April 14, 2003

JAG Security Update April 9, 2003

On Tuesday April 8th, 2003, two displaced 44-year-old farmers, Alan Parsons and Johnny Coast were severely beaten by the "new owner" of Alan's Karoi farm, Temba Mliswa, and about 15 thugs. Along with Parsons and Coast, ZRP Inspector Kumalo, the Messenger of the Court, and the Sheriff were also assaulted. It is only a few months since Temba Mliswa and his thugs beat up Alan's wife Jenny and their 16-year-old son.

The police had contacted Alan to tell him that his farm equipment was being stolen and that he needed to travel to Karoi to go to the farm with them to take an inventory of what was left, and to identify some property which the police believed had been stolen from the farm. Coast, who accompanied Alan to Karoi, had 100% assurance from the Officer Commanding District Supt. Gumbo that their safety would be guaranteed while visiting the farm with Parsons and Coast travelled to Karoi accompanied by a PISI (Police Intelligence) officer, one CID detail, and one CIO operative, all in plain clothes, as well as a uniformed ZRP Sgt. They also had Insp. Kumalo and the Messenger of the Court with them.

On arrival at the farm, the homestead and farmyard gates were locked and there was no one around. They looked around the farmyard identifying where equipment was missing that had been there when Alan and his family were forcibly evicted by Mliswa. They then drove to the other section of the farm where the police said there was some stolen equipment hidden. At this time, one of the members of the group returned to Karoi to collect a locksmith, so that entry could be gained into the main farmyard and the Parsons homestead. A .303 calibre rifle was found in one of the sheds and taken by the PISI officer.

On entering the Parsons home Alan noticed that a lot of their furniture and household items had been stolen (Mliswa had keys to the house). Alan asked the police if he could take some of his personal items from his home. The police agreed, and it was loaded onto their Land Cruiser outside the house. At that moment they could hear wild screaming coming from the yard (close to the house,) and then Mliswa ran right up to Alan screaming like a lunatic and punched him in the face. All hell broke loose as the approximately 15 thugs accompanying Mliswa set about beating Alan, Johnny, the policemen, and the Messenger of the Court with fists and some used golf clubs found in the back of the Land Cruiser. The .303 rifle was taken from the PISI officer by one of the thugs, who immediately put it against Alan's head and pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the rifle was not loaded. Alan and Johnny ran outside to try and get away, but saw the gates had been locked and Mliswa 's truck was barring their exit.

While they were being beaten, Mliswa was screaming, "kill these people," "kill the white pigs". The thugs then grabbed anything they could to use to beat Alan and Johnny (the police had absconded), which included fuel pipes, golf clubs, gas bottles, and iron fencing standards.

Alan was on the back of the truck being beaten from all sides He then ran under a fuel tank frame where he thought he could protect himself. Mliswa followed him and kicked him in the back. When Alan fell to the ground, Mliswa continued to kick him all over the body. In the meantime, the other thugs were beating Johnny near his truck.

Alan and Johnny do not know how long this all went on, but sometime later a contingent of police and army details arrived at the farm gate. The assailants ran away, and the police took Alan and Johnny to Karoi. On leaving the farm, Rex Jesus (Kariba murders prior to the parliamentary elections in 2001) drove up, stopped the police vehicle and looked in at Alan and Johnny before closing the door and letting them proceed. The police delivered them to a friend in Karoi.

The thugs stole the victims cell phones and money and also smashed up Johnny's Land Cruiser, using iron-fencing standards to smash the windows, doors, bonnet, and roof.

Alan and Johnny have been treated at a Hospital and it is believed that Inspector Kumalo has been admitted to a district Hospital.

This and all the other gross Human Rights violations, being committed on a daily basis, is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

All letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions of the submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice for Agriculture.