Harare – Zimbabwe war veterans staged a demonstration on Monday in support of a white dairy farmer and 75 of his workers who were kicked out of their homes in south-west Zimbabwe earlier this month by a senior aide to President Robert Mugabe, in violation of a high court order.<\/p>\n
David Connolly farms about 30km from Bulawayo in the Figtree district.<\/p>\n
Ray Ndhlukula, deputy chief secretary in Mugabe\u2019s presidential office, moved some of his farming equipment and his workers on to Connolly\u2019s property earlier this month despite a high court barring him from interfering with any farming operations.<\/p>\n
Ndhlukula also drove Connolly\u2019s cattle from the farm.<\/p>\n
Connolly said on Tuesday he was surprised when two truckloads of former fighters, loyal to Joshua Nkomo in the 1970s civil war to end Joshua Nkomo, arrived at the farm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard in advance they were coming but I thought it would be at the weekend. Since they arrived most of the new workers packed up their things and moved out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was very grateful for this support, and I am going to the constitutional court now as I must plant tomatoes early next month. They can\u2019t wait. The seedlings are all ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
According The Southern Eye, the war veterans who were part of Nkomo\u2019s Zimbabwe African Peoples Revolutionary Army, Zipra, carried posters to protest the invasion. One read: \u201cZipra fought for land to ensure its fair distribution irrespective of the colour of ones\u2019s race, tribe or political affiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The veterans said the Connolly family, and several other white farmers in the area, had helped them during the war…<\/p>\n