Back to Index

Are we winning? What is JAG doing?
Justice for Agriculture (JAG) Zimbabwe
April 02, 2003

The question is constantly asked, "Are we winning?"

The answer is quite simple "the straws are being piled up on the camel's back and the last straw will break it". JAG is doing its bit to pile the straws on, but it needs everyone to do their bit too. Your straw, however small it might seem, might be the straw. Working with the regime is: to legitimise and lend credibility to it and in effect will be removing the straws, thereby delaying justice. So what has JAG done and how is it going to continue?

Legal
JAG continues to advise farmers to protect themselves and their workers legally, and stand up for their legal and constitutional rights. To fall on the wrong side of the law is a trap that hundreds of farmers blindly walked into in August 2002. They ended up in prison and evicted off their farms for it. At the time there was only one representative body of commercial farmers and it refused to listen to all legal commonsense and advice and take a representative action - hence the formation of the JAG trust.

The Quinnell Case
Well over half of the R180,000.00 required has been raised by JAG through farmers, business and well wishers. The case, which JAG put together, challenges the whole constitutionality of the Land Acquisition Act and illegal evictions, strengthening the claims for restitution and compensation and ultimately bringing justice and accountability to the perpetrators of this injustice. Your further contributions to this landmark case would be greatly appreciated, however small. We hope to have it heard in June. We have raised eight points that are inconsistent with our constitution.

The Rule of Law Case
Affidavits continue to come in regarding the blatant disregard for the law by the regime and complicity of the law enforcement agencies in the breakdown of the rule of law. We need as many affidavits as we can get if we are to convincingly prove that the rule of law has broken down in Zimbabwe. Mbeki and the rest of this regime's apologists will then find it a lot more difficult to say, "Zimbabwe is complying with its own laws". It also strengthens the case further for restitution/compensation. (We still await the pledged affidavits from the CFU legal committee and have asked them to do a joint case with us to demonstrate good faith and to verify the reality of a "change of heart" and thereby add weight to the case).

Civil Damages/Claims Suits
It is imperative in the light of a three-year statute of limitation that farmers start these legal processes before it becomes too late to do so. A number of affidavits are now coming in. Funding has been secured and Leith Bray and Colin Macmillan are doing an excellent job in motivating farmers to compile affidavits regarding their losses without cost to the farmer or his workers. The JAG Loss Claim Document is fundamental to this initiative but not at the submission phase.

SI6 Challenges
JAG did all the groundwork for these challenges and CFU eventually agreed to fund them.

International Criminal Court
Work continues in pioneering legal challenges here if our courts fail us in Zimbabwe.

Compensation/Restitution
JAG negotiated and brokered the setting up of the "Valuation Consortium" with the valuator fraternity in order to reduce the cost of valuations to farmers. It also consulted legal advisors and loss assessors to put together a loss claim document and a database which includes all losses you have incurred, including:

1. Land and improvements (valuation via valuation consortium),

2. Loss, theft, damage to and forced sale of moveable assets,

3. Loss of trading profits,

4. Non trading consequential losses,

5. Trauma (assessable from a diary of events which becomes a founding affidavit for legal challenges and claims cases),

6. Relocation.

A comprehensive database has been pioneered and developed to store this loss document data and input externalised. Farmers need to continue to get these JAG Loss Claim Documents in to us as a matter of urgency.

Accountability
JAG has put together the "chef list" which so far has over 3500 names (over 400 of them prominent) and details of those that have illegally seized or broken the law on farms. This is held externally and will be essential for bringing justice in due course.

Publicity
JAG believes implicitly in openness (glasnost). Individuals and organisations that continue to deal behind closed doors and non-transparently are furthering the plight of the country and its citizens. JAG believes in fully publicising injustices and bringing the deeds of darkness into the light. We have an open door policy and welcome farmers, the press and concerned citizens to visit or phone us, visit our website or email us to remain updated. Don't hide what is going on. Our story needs to be told. JAG also believes in countering state propaganda where the truth is being subverted. As commercial farmers and farm workers we have a lot to be proud of in terms of feeding not only our country but the whole sub region for the past 22 years. We need to do out utmost to challenge the state inspired adverse and false propaganda image we have been unjustly saddled with.

Civic Society
JAG is a proud signatory to the Crisis Coalition "Freedom Charter" and an active participant in civic society issues. We believe the Crisis Coalition is crucial to building a future for Zimbabwe.

Environment
JAG believes environmental issues are of key concern to our future as agriculturalists. Our website has information and harrowing pictures of the environmental disaster that is currently being created as a direct result of the so-called "land reform" programme. This is particularly pertinent with regard to our wildlife heritage. Without a stable cared for environment, agriculture has no future. JAG believes in creating responsibility for land husbandry through direct ownership of it and respect for property rights.

International Lobbying
JAG continues to meet and lobby foreign ambassadors and dignitaries giving briefings on injustices being perpetrated. We have also been involved internationally in this regard lobbying MP's, businesses and other prominent individuals and organisations particularly in South Africa and the region in order to garner support for the cause of justice.

Farm Worker Feeding and Support
JAG continues to assist in feeding displaced and internally displaced farm workers with thousands of families benefiting from this scheme. JAG has also been able to assist other farm workers with food as well.

Human Rights Abuses
JAG continues to compile and send out information on the human rights violations, which continue to escalate in Zimbabwe. Please check our website for some of these.

Farmer Assistance
JAG continues to assist farmers with finding job and business opportunities, and provides counselling to help farming families adapt to the traumatic situation that they face.

The Vision
JAG has set up a steering committee to look at a vision for the future of agriculture in Zimbabwe. JAG sees the current situation as an opportunity to create full independence of the individual by giving him security of tenure, bankable title and full land ownership rights that have always been denied to the communal and resettlement farmers in the past. JAG strongly contends that freedom and empowerment of the people of Zimbabwe will only be achieved through property ownership and respect thereof as enshrined in our constitution. The present so called land reform programme and resettlement since 1980 has seen the destruction of freehold title and nil transference to the recipients of the land. Government targeting of 98% of the residual properties with compulsory acquisition under the fast track programme clearly illustrates their intent to destroy title and thereby control the people through absolute dependency. The vision for the future of agriculture in Zimbabwe will be a forum for the inclusion of input from all stakeholders from grass roots producer level up through ancillary industries.

Prayer
JAG remains a Christian and democracy based organisation and can mobilise prayer groups to assist in situations where people want prayer.

Your continued support of JAG would be greatly appreciated either in your suggestions and input, your membership, or donations to support these working initiatives which all add together for a just and secure future for us all. Our door and our lines of communication are always open. Our policy is one of participation and inclusion and we take the view that if you want to eat you are automatically involved in agriculture! So any ideas are welcome.

Visit the JAG Zimbabwe fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP