There is an upsurge in attempts to forcibly take over Zimbabwean properties still owned by whites 15 years after the launch of a land reform programme, a Zimbabwe farmers’ union said.

The Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) said there had been at least 20 “incidents” on white-owned properties in recent weeks, in most cases with farmers told to leave their farms. Some had been given as little as one month’s “notice”.

“They are informing the owner that time is up; some people are getting 90 days, some people are getting 45 days, some people are getting 30 days to wind up their farming operations and vacate the property,” CFU director Hendrik Olivier told Sapa.

He said in some cases the demands were made “without any official correspondence from the [lands] ministry to wind up their farming operations. There’s no paperwork”.

He said many of the cases had occurred in southern Matabeleland province.

There are believed to be between 300 and 400 white farmers left on their farms — down from around 4000 15 years ago. Many of those still left have already ceded parts of their farms.

An unknown number of white farmers have also quietly returned to rent land from the new owners.
Upsurge in attempts to evict last white farmers - Nehanda Radio