Farm attacks

Commercial Farmers Union says rogue police, soldiers robbing its farmers

NewZimbabwe.com

19 July 2015

WHITE commercial farmers across Zimbabwe have been asked to “tighten” their security following reports of a terror gang in military and police uniform that has hit the Midlands and Masvingo provinces already.

In a letter to members of the predominantly white only Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), director Hendrick Olivier said there had been attacks in Gweru and Mwenezi.

“We wish to inform our farmers still out there that it would appear that the same group of individuals that shot and wounded a farmer in Masvingo a month ago in an attempted robbery are active again.

“This time a farmer and his wife were attacked at midnight on their farm in the Mwenezi/Ngundu area. They were assaulted and robbed. Please be on the lookout for three criminals who were seen driving away from the scene in a dark coloured Toyota Ipsum vehicle,” Olivier said in the letter.

“One was dressed in a brown Police uniform with a cap; another was dressed in the blue Police uniform and the third was dressed in camouflage (army)”.

Olivier confirmed the development indicating that specific farmers affected by the robberies had approached police.

“It is not for us as an association to report to police but for individual farmers affected to do so and they have done just that. I am sure that Masvingo police are working on the issue,” said Olivier.

The CFU chief claimed the group approached the farmer ostensibly “to check up on firearms licenses” before turning on the farmer and his wife “tying him and his wife up and assaulting them to hand over money” after being asked to produce official identification.

“Another robbery in the Gweru area last weekend may be linked to the group. We await further details.

In the Masvingo assault there were two pistols but robbers lost one in the struggle with the farmer.

However, in Saturday night’s incident they seized the farmer’s 45 Webley revolver and came with a silver.38 revolver,” said the letter.

In June Newzimbabwe.com reported of a group of robbers who were clad in police uniform who, in May, hijacked a truck at traffic light junction in Mbare.

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