|
Misanet.com / Daily News, 23 August - Police officers and vehicles were allegedly involved in the recent orgy of raiding and looting of farms in the Zimbabwean province Mashonaland West, new evidence uncovers. Farmers and scores of farm workers and villagers in the area where more than 40 commercial farms were raided last week, have confirmed the alleged involvement of the police. Villagers say war veterans incited them to loot. They said they were assured they would not be arrested because the exercise was part of the land reform programme. Investigations have established that a war veteran based in Chinhoyi, known as Comrade Maguvaza, drove a police vehicle to a number of villages where he allegedly met Zanu PF (ruling party) officials hours before the looting spree began. Sources in the area said Maguvaza drove to the homestead of Fred Chitsinde, the Zanu PF district chairman for Makonde in Village Five, where hundreds were resettled in 1991. When Maguvaza left, a Zanu PF supporter, known as Cornelius Dicho, is said to have moved around the village telling people that those who wanted land should go and invade Winter Farm, a commercial farm near the resettlement area. Dicho allegedly told the villagers the move had been sanctioned by the police and there was no need to fear. Winter Farm was subsequently raided and property worth millions of dollars was looted and an unspecified number of beasts slaughtered, allegedly in the presence of the police who said they wanted some of the cuts, preferably the hindquarters. Farm workers say at Cotswold Farm in the Mhangura area, the invaders stole, among other things, a water pump and five car batteries. They also slaughtered the farm¹s biggest bull, a Hereford. Said one worker: "The police took the meat as well, a whole hindquarter, and put it in their vehicle. The police were putting pressure on the invaders." At Richmond Farm, a worker said: "The pressure was coming from the police, saying the government had given permission." At Long Valley Farm, which was also raided, the police are alleged to have loaded their vehicle with bags of maize meal. Although the farmer, Anthony White, said he could not state categorically that he saw the police taking away the maize meal, his workers had told him that the police vehicle was full of looted goods, mostly maize meal. White said he stopped the police to hear what they were doing about the destruction on his farm. The police officers told him they were going back to Mhangura for reinforcements because the invaders grossly outnumbered them. They left but did not return to the farm, he said. "The police did not want to co-operate," said White. "Two police officers were here, but I hear they were inciting my workers to help themselves to my property."
|
