Zimbabwe's Farm Invasions Scaring Potential Investors
The Union’s Vice President Deon Theron told Radio VOP: “We have not seen much change in the farms since the inclusive government was formed. We thought the formation of the coalition government was the beginning of democracy in terms of respect of property rights and rule of law, but the opposite is what is happening. This is counterproductive in a country that was beginning to show positive move in its economy and has a negative impact in the re-engagement with the international community.
“Investors now doubt to risk their investment in a country that has no respect to property rights. We are disturbed very much to see that …there is no prosecution to such people who are violating the law.”
Farm invasions by senior Zanu PF officials have continued with the latest case being that of the Land Reform and State Security, Didymus Mutasa, who together with his wife threatened a white commercial farmer, Gavin Woest, with death telling him to leave in minutes last Saturday.
In Mashonaland West, Zanu PF chairman for land Temba Mliswa demanded that black farmers leasing out land to whites should have their land repossessed by the government.
Movement for Democratic Change party recently released a comprehensive 2009 report on the harassment of white farmers in the country despite the formation of the inclusive government which guarantees respect to rule of law and property rights. The report says 1400 cases of harassment of white farmers were recorded and also indicates the names of senior Zanu PF officials who have been driving the farm invasions.