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Reckless tragedy: Irreversible? A survey of human rights violations and losses suffered by commercial farm workers in Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2008
Justice for Agriculture (JAG) and the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ)
Report prepared by the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU)
December 12, 2008

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Introduction

Whilst the deleterious economic effects of the Zimbabwean Government's "Fast Track Land Reform Programme" have received wide attention over the last few years, little has been done to comprehensively investigate the means by which some 4000 white commercial farmers and their families were forcibly evicted from their farms, or how a population of at least 1.3 million farm workers was subjected to 8 long years of political violence, intimidation and torture.

Indeed, the recent political agreement between the MDC and Zanu PF has not yet brought an end to the violence on the farms. At the time of writing this repot farm seizures and political violence perpetuated by Zanu PF continue. Indeed the authors of this report believe that clause 5.5 of the agreement, which describes the "land reform" as "irreversible," has actually encouraged the invasion of some of the last few remaining farms in an attempt to create a de facto situation whereby recent occupations too can be counted as "irreversible."

The political agreement as it stands is too vague for any detailed commentary. However, a few points should be made:

• describing the "land reform" as "irreversible" negates any possibility of economic recovery for Zimbabwe
• farmers and farm workers, who drove the engine of Zimbabwe's economy, should be involved in the country's reconstruction
• farmers and farm workers should be considered in the allocation of land
• entrenching current occupations by A2 farmers rewards them for the violent means they used to evict the former owners in a majority of cases
• entrenching current occupations entrenches Zanu PF patronage structures

It is imperative that the Government's so called "Fast Track Land Reform Programme" is recognized, not as a somewhat flawed but nobly conceived exercise, but as a calamitous, painful and unnecessary tragedy. This tragedy cannot be reversed, but the first steps on the path towards healing and reconciliation will involve the new State's investigation into the crimes committed in the name of "land reform" over the last 8 years; the prosecution of those guilty of the most serious crimes such as murder and rape, as well as the prosecution of those senior figures who either gave orders that such crimes be committed or who were in a position to stop the atrocities and did nothing; and finally, the financial compensation for losses sustained by victims as a result of these illegal actions.

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