On Tuesday March 18^th, 2003, Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) men went out to MDC MP (Chimanimani) Roy Bennett's leased farm on the outskirts of Harare, to ascertain his whereabouts. Bennett's 3 guards were unable to assist them. The CIO men proceeded to break all the guards toes and fingers, and beat them severely. They then dumped them at the Epworth Police Station. One of the victims died on arrival at the Police Station. The whereabouts of the deceased's body is yet to be established.

On Thursday March 20^th, 2003, 3 armoured vehicles with mounted machine guns were driven into Bennett's farmyard. Approximately 12 men in army uniform, all fully kitted out in bandoleers carrying AK 47 assault rifles, advanced on the home of 61-year-old farm Manager Norman Gardiner and his 60-year-old wife Isobel, yelling instructions for everyone in the house to come outside. The Gardiner's and their domestic staff were then told to lie down and keep rolling over while the army details beat them with wire cable tied to sticks, iron fencing standards, sjamboks (leather whips,) and sticks. The assailants then marched them to their home and searched it, supposedly looking for Bennett. When they found nothing, they turned their vicious attention to Bennett's farm workers who were in the lands, and systematically beat the men, women, and children of all ages. This all took place over a period of four hours. All the victims were treated for their injuries at a hospital and released.

At 9am Friday March 21^st, 2003, the Marondera home of farmer Iain and Kerry Kay was raided by CIO. When they did not find the Kays, they took away the maid, Esnath, and slapped her around, demanding to know where Iain Kay was, telling her that they would be back in the evening with a weapon to kill Kay "because he is an opposition member and has meetings". They removed papers from personal files.

Friday March 21^st, 2003, Army, Police, and Support Unit details visited the farm next door to Roy Bennett MP, sending in two men in civilian clothing under the pretext of seeing the Manager (who was unavailable) to purchase tires. The uniformed military then came in and beat the workers. As of 5 p.m. this date, 28 women have been badly beaten and are being treated at a hospital. The fate of the remainder of the workers is unknown. Roadblocks in and out of the area of the farm have been mounted by the military.

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