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CFU statement on murder of Colin Zietsman
Commercial Farmers' Union - Zimbabwe
September 05, 2011

It is with great regret that we have witnessed a further fatal and brutal attack on one of our farming families in the early hours of Friday morning which was extremely savage in nature negating the fact that this was just a simple robbery. A message has again been sent to our farming community that we are targets and we continue to be targets and that these criminals can act with impunity. This crime as well as many others carried out against our community is totally unacceptable to us as farmers in particular and the entire country as a whole. They are a symptom of what has been allowed to happen to our community for the last 12 years and which continues to this day. Our farmers are being subjected to constant threats, intimidation, extortion, theft, eviction, violence and murder and the courts and services that we turn to for protection and assistance are offering none. We therefore ask our government to immediately intervene and return order and security to the farming sector. It is no surprise that our country is in dire financial stress and requires constant support from donor communities when its productive citizens are subjected to such abuse. We also implore our government to immediately provide a constructive platform from which positive dialogue can take place to once and for all find a satisfactory and lasting solution to the land question. We call for a moratorium on all evictions and prosecutions so that the few commercial farmers remaining can farm with confidence together with their financial partners whilst such a solution is found.

If this fails to happen the negative perception of Zimbabwe will continue with the resulting decline into anarchy and dependence. We ask that in finding a lasting solution all Zimbabweans can participate on an even playing field regardless of race, agenda or political affiliation. We further ask why this situation is being allowed to continue. We are all Zimbabweans with the country's best interest at heart. These deplorable assaults are completely unnecessary and destructive and our country can no longer afford to continue along this road. We again ask our Government to be more proactive in resolving these issues so that this beautiful country can once again be the envy of Central Africa.

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