Military role in farm invasions alleged

Senior ruling party-linked officers in Zimbabwe’s armed forces have allegedly taken a direct role in organising the invasion of white commercial farms by “war veterans”, a military analyst told IRIN on Friday.

Confirming media reports in Zimbabwe and South Africa, the retired army officer said he had “come across evidence that old party cadres in the military have been organised to implement the strategy” of land invasions to punish white farmers for their support of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

“The intelligence service provided the lists (of the farms to target), the government provided the political strategy, and the armed forces provided the logistics,” the military analyst said. The government’s approach is aimed in part at ending the political influence of the farmers over their workers, he added.

Media reports allege that the military has coordinated support for the self-styled war veterans, trucking in food and cash as well as armed soldiers to lead the occupations. The reports have named General Perence Shiri, the head of the air force and former commander of the notorious Fifth Brigade, as the architect of the land invasions. In the 1980s the Fifth Brigade was accused of civilian massacres in Matabeleland in a campaign to stamp out dissidents.

Shiri was alleged to have been part of a delegation of war veterans that met with white farmers last week. Other senior officers were reported to have held talks with Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) leaders in which the government’s displeasure with the support some of the CFU’s 4,000 members had given to the MDC was spelled out. Fifth Brigade soldiers have also been identified as among the war veterans.

The government’s use of the military “deprofessionalises the armed forces, emphasises factions and political intrigue,” the military analyst said. However, armed forces spokesman Colonel Chancellor Diye has denied the military’s involvement in the land invasions.

Meanwhile, the ‘Zimbabwe Independent’ reported on Friday that government funds to support the war veterans were apparently running low, and the squatters had resorted to escalating their demands for supplies from farmers. “Phase 2 which includes political ‘re-education’ of farm workers (ie, conversion to ZANU-PF) has been accompanied by an escalation of demands. War vets and ZANU supporters are now demanding food and transport,” the newspaper said.