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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Post-election violence 2008 - Index of articles & images
Terror
on the farms
General
Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union (GAPWUZ)
May 07, 2008
As if the damage suffered
by the farm workers in the 2000 land invasions was not enough, the
workers are once again the target of political violence following
ZANU (PF)'s defeat in the last elections.
Our wounds are still
to heal and we are now being subject to pain and torture.
During the recent waves
of farm disturbances, we have gathered the following information
regarding farms that have been invaded by those calling themselves
war veterans. These manufactured invasions have resulted in loss
of jobs and livelihood to those workers and their families.
The information
that we have received show that more than 39 752 workers have been
affected by the current terror campaign.
| Area |
Number
of workers affected |
| Masvingo |
10
120 |
| Beatrice |
270 |
| Mvurwi |
4
127 |
| Karoi |
6
180 |
| Marondera |
155 |
| Chipinge |
8
400 |
| Chegutu |
10
500 |
| Total |
39
752 |
Farm workers
have been hospitalized after sustaining injuries and as we all know,
the farms are among the most remote areas and this means they have
little or no access to adequate health care.
The standard of 4 May
2008 reported that four bodies of murdered people are rotting at
Guruve Hospital as their relatives can not come and take them for
burial for fear of victimization.
As we speak right now,
over 400 families countrywide are sleeping in the cold after being
evicted from the farm homes.
These families are reportedly
being denied access to health care and food. Some workers in Manicaland
have also been hospitalized after being beaten out of their farms.
Some have resorted to
the mountains for fear of victimization.
One GAPUWZ field officer
and 15 others were last week arrested on allegations of having organized
workers stay-away. They have since been released and will be summoned
to court.
In view of all these
atrocities being committed against the people for making their democratic
choice, we express our deepest disappointment in the authorities'
failure to contain the situation and more saddening is the fact
that the military and police are also implicated in the ordeal.
Getrude Hambira
General Secretary
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