Farm updates

KARORI Farm update

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Karori Farm - Charles Lock

On Thursday we obtained a High Court order, not withstanding an appeal, to remove our crops and equipment from Karori farm. The value of this is well over one and half million dollars.

We arrived on Friday morning with the messenger of Court and were only given three police officers by the DISPOL. The order specified that the Police were to ensure that the order was enacted. On arriving at the farm the messenger attempted to serve the papers on the soldiers under Brigadier Mujaji however the soldiers said that they had ben instructed by Mujaji to shoot anyone who attempted to take anything off the farm.
The two lorries we sent there were returned to Harare.

We returned to the DISPOL in Rusape and the messenger requested more police officers to enforce the order. The DISPOL told the messenger to take his order back to Harare as the police would not support it.

That message was conveyed in my presence to Superintendant Mahla by Ass Commissioner Crime Khumalo at PGHQ. I heard the order as I was in the office of Sup Mahle. We had to return and the messenger filed his return papers citing gross contempt by the soldiers and police.

On Sunday Mujaji and his soldiers stole diesel from the farm then using our tractors evicted all the senior staff from the farm and drove off all the workers who were trying to guard the maize and tobacco that we are attempting to deliver. The workers were dumped at Halfway House. Our cattle were driven off the farm. As it stands it is now a looting exercise as Mujaji has stolen over 300 tons maize and 150 tons of tobacco and all my equipment in spite of High Court Orders issued by Judge Patel. I am not even allowed in my home as the soldiers have threatened to shoot me. My domestics have been evicted off the farm by the army so my house will likely be looted tonight.

It is apparent that a military coup has taken place in Zimbabwe as the army are running the show and looting at will in face of the highest courts in the land. The Police are party to this and refuse to help openly. We have had workers shot, starved, evicted, over US$750 000 worth of crops stolen and that amount in equipment by the Zimbabwe National Army.

We are appealing to the GPA to sort this out or do we take the GPA to Court and SADC for this theft by the Army and Police

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------