US embassy cable - 02HARARE1934

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001934 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
PARIS FOR CNEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ECON, PHUM, PGOV, ZI, Land Reform 
SUBJECT: DISPLACED FARM WORKERS: UNADDRESSED HUMANITARIAN 
CHALLENGE 
 
 
1. (U)  Summary:  The arrests and evictions of commercial 
farmers continue, with most farmers being released on bail 
with varying conditions.  Some farmers are having their 
Section 8 acquisition  orders overturned on technicalities, 
but this seems to be a temporary reprieve at best.  The fate 
of the farm workers on these farms remains in limbo, although 
"war vet" pressure for retrenchment packages -- with the war 
vets reportedly retaining 30-40% of the remuneration for 
their efforts -- continues to complicate the situation. 
Credible reports of well-connected and wealthy black 
Zimbabweans taking possession of desirable farms from white 
Zimbabweans continue to be published in the independent media 
and through Justice for Agriculture (JAG), an agricultural 
advocacy coalition.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) Although the momentum has slowed down due to various 
factors -- including, in some cases, the absence of relevant 
landowners -- arrests of commercial farmers are continuing, 
and the GOZ-controlled press continues to trumpet that "there 
is no going back on land reform."  The process continues to 
follow the pattern of arrest and a brief stay in jail, 
followed by a bail hearing and continuation of the 
proceedings until a later date. 
 
3. (SBU) Several farmers have used variations on the strategy 
of opposing the preliminary Section 5 and final Section 8 
notices of acquisition based on the GOZ's failure to notify 
other interested parties, as required by the GOZ's own law 
and regulations.  Judges and magistrates in the lower courts 
have had some sympathy for these arguments.  In some cases, 
the farmers are arguing that the acquisition orders should be 
overturned since the bondholder or mortgage holder was not 
notified of the GOZ's intention to acquire the subject 
property.  In at least one case, a sugar cane grower 
successfully argued that his acquisition notices were invalid 
due to the existence of a water servitude and the failure of 
the GOZ to notify Hippo Valley, one of the main sugar growing 
plantations, which is also the local administrator of the 
sugar cane irrigation scheme.  Other farmers have 
successfully gained reprieve by arguing that the GOZ could 
not prove service of preliminary Section 5 or final Section 8 
notices of acquisition on the farmers. 
 
4. (SBU) Notorious war veteran Joseph Chinotimba, who led 
some of the extortionate factory invasions as well as farm 
invasions during the past two years, has reportedly been 
hired by a wealthy Zanu-PF land recipient to forcibly evict a 
commercial farmer who successfully had his Section 8 order 
nullified by the High Court.  Chinotimba, in his role as 
vice-president of the GOZ-controlled organization Zimbabwe 
Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU), has been implicated in 
extorting money from commercial farmers by coercing farm 
workers into demanding exorbitant "exit packages" from 
dispossessed commercial farmers -- for a healthy fee. 
Farmers Vince and Monica Schultz, who are still engaged in 
forex-earning horticultural operations, report that 
Chinotimba descended upon their farm on August 22 with a 
group of Zanu-PF youth militia members to demand that they 
pay astronomical retrenchment packages to their 135 farm 
workers, and that they vacate the farm despite the court 
order allowing them to remain.  As in other reported cases, 
Chinotimba is likely to  retain 30% to 40% of each 
retrenchment package for his efforts.  Interestingly, the 
farmers report that the beneficiary of this particular farm 
seizure, Bright Matonga, the CEO of parastatal bus company 
the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO), has visited 
the farm several times and informed the workers that since he 
is now the owner, they would now be working for him -- 
obviating the argument that the workers have lost their 
employment and are thus due exit packages even if the 
Schultzes are forcibly dispossessed.  The Schultzes have not 
yet complied with the demand that they vacate their home, 
although Matonga has threatened to return with a battalion of 
militia if they do not. 
 
5. (U) Grace Mugabe, wife of President Mugabe, is one of the 
more high-profile beneficiaries of the fast-track 
resettlement effort.  According to a number of press reports, 
Mrs. Mugabe has chosen a farm roughly 30 km northwest of 
Harare which happens to be the site of a new 27-room mansion, 
valued at over Zim $100,000,000 (roughly US $1.6 million), 
fronted by a 2 hectare "well-manicured garden."  The 
dispossessed couple, both in their seventies, described the 
house and grounds as their "lifetime's work."  Mrs. Mugabe 
reportedly visited the farm last week, found it acceptable, 
and the couple was notified yesterday that Mrs. Mugabe would 
be sending people to fetch the keys for her. 
 
6. (SBU) In all of this, the fate of the 500,000 or so 
commercial farm workers remains unclear.  Some reports 
indicate that the impoverished people displaced by the newest 
wave of GOZ actions could be as high as 100,000.  Other 
reports indicate that some displaced farm workers are 
informally joining settlers on other occupied farms since 
they have no food, no place in the communal lands, and 
nowhere else to go.  In an indication that the GOZ does not 
want the enormity of this problem to be recognized, post 
received yet another report that a tent city being erected by 
an NGO outside of Harare for some of the dispossessed farm 
workers was abruptly shut down by the Zimbabwe Republic Army 
with claims that "This land belongs to us...."  There are no 
authoritative numbers, but the problem of internally 
displaced persons is growing and the precarious situation of 
these forgotten victims will undoubtedly be exacerbated by 
the growing food shortages. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment:  Although the reports of displacement and 
arrests of commercial farmers have tapered down, there is 
little doubt that the GOZ will continue along this path. 
Many commercial farmers remain determined to challenge their 
forced removal from their property in the courts, and the 
courts are displaying varying degrees of support for the 
farmers' arguments.  However, police, settlers, and war vets 
are showing no respect for court orders or judgments, and 
their stance mirrors the GOZ's pronouncements that it will 
only recognize judgments with which it agrees.  The numbers 
of displaced farm workers could grow very quickly over the 
next several weeks, and the international community should be 
prepared to respond to their needs.  End comment. 
SULLIVAN