THE Commercial Farmers’ Union of Zimbabwe (CFUZ) yesterday said it was troubled by the government’s silence over the killing of Guruve farmer Malcom Francis and his daughter Catherine by unknown assailants on their farm. STAFF REPORTER
The two were attacked while taking a walk at their farm and found unconscious by a family member who rushed them to hospital on May 10.
Catherine died two weeks ago while Malcolm passed away the following week.
“We condemn this cowardly attack on an elderly man and a young woman and its barbaric brutality in the strongest of terms and find these actions wholly unacceptable to us as a civilised nation,” CFUZ said in a statement.
“In addition, we are greatly troubled by the total silence from our authorities, as well as our leaders around this event, so much that we are left wondering if this crime was not sanctioned or condoned by some higher office.
“We most sincerely hope that this is not the case and that the relevant authorities such as the police force as well as others will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice.”
CFUZ said there were many other unresolved murders and atrocities committed over the last 14 years during the land reform exercise.
The organisation said the land reform exercise continued to see arbitrary expropriation of land, property and other assets from citizens in many cases in the absence of the protection of the law.
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“This has left our agricultural sector in a state of underperformance and apprehension with the resulting drop in overall production to alarming levels together with the knock-on collapse of associated sectors as well as Zimbabwe’s economy in general.
“It is now no secret that we are an economy in crisis and that the average man regardless of his background is now suffering. Equally, it is no secret that our government understands this and that some in the government are trying to put in place measures to reverse this crisis as well as measures to encourage both local and foreign investment which we strongly endorse and support.
“However, these brutal acts of murder, extortion and theft continuing in our sector fly in the face of these noble efforts to resuscitate our ailing economy.”
The CFUZ appealed for an immediate moratorium on land acquisition “to be placed upon the agricultural sector to allow for confidence to the re-establishment in the short term to ensure success for the coming summer season while a long-term solution is sought”.
“It is sad to note that the current winter crop will be the smallest on record due to this continued uncertainty,” the CFUZ statement read.
