September 16, 2002
(On behalf of Justice for Agriculture) in Zimbabwe
Member of the Presidents Office today visited the offices of the Rev Tim Neil requesting the location of the Justice for Agriculture (JAG) office. They were directed to the JAG offices, which were not open for business today.
An update received from Karoi.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. today (September 11th 2002), two vehicles that were on Renoc farm yesterday, returned accompanied by a 60/70 strong group. Once again they fired shots at the house of Mrs Thea Cochrane (67). Approximately 25 shots were fired. Thea was in the house alone and her son Ian was in his home some 200 meters away with his wife and children.
The mob broke through the security fence and several ran around the house shouting and intimidating the elderly Thea.
Meanwhile at another house on the farm, members of the invading group broke into the house smashing windows and looting the household contents.
A fire was started on some dry pastureland close to the stables and hay bales were engulfed in flames startling the horses. A horse belonging to the children did not manage to break free and was badly burnt and had to be put down early this evening.
The police were summoned and responded after other farmers in the area went to the station to impress upon them that lives could be lost if no police presence was timorously established. The Police eventually responded with 4-armed details and two assistant inspectors who could not have adequately coped with the 60 plus crowd who fortunately had dispersed just before the police arrived.
The Police remained on site for just over 40 minutes but did not take a written report, or details of the stolen property. They left after refusing to provide an armed guard.
Information to hand today is that the ZANU PF youth leader in the area accompanied by his supporters stole 3 shotguns from guards from a neighbouring farm last night.
Background info filed yesterday (10th September 2002)
Reports being received indicate that a Karoi farming family are presently barricaded in their home following the arrival on their farm of a group of about 60-70 people. Two people are armed with automatic shotguns, and another, who is a notorious war veteran in the area by the name of Patrick Mapunga, is armed with a FN Assault rifle.
Ian Cochrane (43), his mother Thea (67), his sister Sally Magjwick, and two children Hamish (5) and Stacey (3), are presently in the main house of the homestead at their 3 000 acre Renroc Farm. The Cochrane's do not have a section 8, but were issued with a Section 5.
Evidence of trouble initially surfaced on Monday night at about 6pm when a crowd gathered outside the homestead, which comprises two houses. This morning, a white vehicle with about 60-70 people arrived on the farm, and at about 8:30am, two men, armed with an automatic shotgun, broke into the fence of the smaller house where Ian was. Ian took his rifle and chased them out of the garden.
Soon afterwards, another group of people broke into the main house and called the elder Mrs. Cochrane to come out of the house. She went out and confronted the group of people, one of who was armed with the FN. They grabbed her and tried to drag her away, however she managed to break free. During the scuffle, Mrs Cochrane's communication radio and cellphone were taken from her.
At this point, Sally called Ian to tell him what was happening and he promptly took his rifle again and was forced to wade through the larger group of people in an effort to reach his family in the main house. As he was doing so, a shot was fired and stones were hurled at him. In response, Ian fired a shot into the ground.
Ian was forced to circle the fence around the house for a while as the gates were closed. Several more shots were fired at him and he fired twice in response. His sister managed to open the gate for him and he went and joined his family.
One of the farm vehicles took a bullet in the side and all roads leading to the farm have been barricaded. Police are refusing to respond to the situation.
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