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----- Original Message ----- From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Brenda Garzon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Lynn Duncan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001 10:46 AM Subject: Fw: Pray first then Please pass on - Zimbabwe > > > > > ----Original Message----- > > From: Penny Bower > > Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001 10:16 AM > > Subject: Pray first then Please pass on - Zimbabwe > > Importance: High > > > > For these poor souls who need everything they can get, and prayer is the > > best we can do. > > > > Penny Bower > > > > PLEASE PRAY.... even though we live in a society that seems so far removed > > from this, these are people who are part of the Christians going through > > terrible times.... I cannot even imagine what they are going through... > > Thanks Brenda > > > > Dear Everyone, > > For those people on my list who don't know me, my name is Joy Moolman,a > > farmer's wife who lives in Karoi, which is a farming community in the > north > > west of Zimbabwe. > > > > Last Monday, a large intimidating group of Africans( probably about 40 or > > so) gathered at the home of the Barcley's, they were armed with sticks and > > knobkerries. The farmer and his wife, who are an elderly couple, were in > > fear of their lives as these people are volatile, heady with the knowledge > > that whatever they do wrong will not be addressed, and they consider > > themselves in charge. The farmer pretended he was going to phone the > > district administrator to come and sort out any problems they thought they > > might have with the farmer, so they let him go inside his house. Well as > you > > can well imagine, this poor man phoned the police instead. As per normal, > > the police said they did not have a spare vehicle to send, but could spare > a > > constable on a bicycle to ride the 35 kilometres to get to the farm. > Another > > farmer then phoned the police to say he would uplift a detail. The police > > responded by saying they would not ride in a civillian vehicle. Let me > just > > add here that illegal pegging of farms has been taking place this last 2 > > months and I know for a fact that transport for the team that pegged our > > farm was provided every day for a week using a police land rover! Also if > a > > sqatter has any problem with the farmer at all, the farmer is reported and > > picked up for Barcley got onto his radio network and radiod for > assistance. > > With this business having gone on for the last 18 months, the only support > > we have is from each other. Two neighbours came round straight away to > find > > the place barricaded. They let the rest of the neighbourhood know they > were > > breaking through to try to get the couple out of immenent danger. they > broke > > through and attacked and beaten in their efforts. The rest of the > > neighbourhood responded and arrived on the farm, about another 9 or so > > farmers to help. These sqatters/cowards/criminals who can't face a man to > > man battle, had more than they bargained for with this group of farmers > > going in to the rescue. Please note that this group of farmers consisted > > mainly of 60-70 year old men, joined by a couple of their sons! The > sqatters > > are mainly unemployed youth who are in their 20's. > > > > The police asked the farmers to come to the cop shop to make their > > statements about the incident, which being law abiding citizens, they did. > > They were arrested the minute they walked through the doors, about 14 > > farmers, I think. They were thrown in jail overnight. Hamish Barcley, the > > son, went to the cop shop with a Chinhoyi farmer the next day in enquire > > what was going to happen to the farmers. The two were arrested. The 72 > year > > old Presbytarian minister went with blankets for the chaps and was thrown > > into jail. The number in jail is now 20. We are still in our winter season > > with temperature at night down to 0 c, the farmers had no warm clothing > and > > prisons in this country are a joke. The one man, 72, suffered a heart > attack > > and was allowed out. They had endless trouble in Chinhoyi with Whites > > assaulted in the streets with fists and knives. Our local Doc, Chris Lewis > > was kept busy. > > > > All traffic that had whites in had rocks thrown at them and everyone in > the > > town were ready to evacuate. This road that passes through Chinhoyi leads > to > > the Zambezi River, Kariba, Mana pools, Zambia, so has much traffic on it. > > The court case was unable to continue the one day as Zanu P. F. supporters > > threatened everyones lives, once again no police > > intervention. The case was emanded three times just to keep these farmers > in > > prison over the long weekend we are having, aptly named heroes weekend. > > Houses of Whites in Chinhoyi have been looted, the tension everywhere is > > tangible. > > > > My husband, Theunis, is a buckshee farmer, successful, practical and a > very > > lever man, We have 27 resettlers on our farm put on by this illegal > > resettling program. They are trying to displace our 60 families who work > for > > us on the farm. We have no option but to stay here and try to get the > > situation to resolve itself, a very daunting exercise. Yesterday the chaps > > in Karoi were radioed from Doma, a farming community close to Chinhoyi, to > > help evacuate all the women and children off the farms. > > The area responded and many people were able to escape by road. Theunis, > who > > is also a pilot, eventually flew in to the main troubled area. There was > > chaos and mayhem on the farms. Large groups of squatters were trashing and > > looting everyones farm in the district. The trouble had started two days > > previously and because police would not respond, it turned into a free for > > all. Theunis, in the plane, was used as an early warning system to tell > > which way the groups were going next, so the men left could > > evacuate their properties in enough time. > > > > In the air they watched the total desecration of a property. All the > > contents of houses were removed and placed in the garden, Blacks helped > > themselves to what they wanted and trashed the rest. Tractors and trailers > > were being used to cart off maize and fertilizer belonging to the owner. > > > > The farm labour were rounded up like sheep and had people hitting them > with > > sticks. They chased some cattle around the paddock hoping to catch one to > > slaughter. This plan failed, so they put four bulls into the cattle race > and > > cut their throats as they stood. The bodies were loaded onto the trailer > for > > their party!!! This was happening all over the district. > > > > One of the Mannings family had their house attacked. Ant had to cut > through > > his burglar bars at one end of the house to get his kids out, while he > could > > hear them at the other end trying to cut their way in. There was an > official > > fly past for Mugabe in Harare to celebrate for the holiday so other air > > traffic was grounded. Eventually when they could fly planes pilots arrived > > from Harare to uplift more people out. Theunis arrived home after a full > > day in Doma having flown for five hours. He and his co pilot were the > lucky > > ones, they were able to sleep in their own beds last night. > > > > On the SABC news we heard that police were responding to quiten the area, > > three days too late. > > > > This morning, Sunday, at 7.30 he got another urgent request to go back > into > > the area as all the strife was starting over. So much for the police > force! > > We have been through a lot this year as farmers. Our lives have been > > threatened, our farming operations stopped, our homes taken away from us. > > For those who do not know me, I too have been locked in my own surround by > > war vets/squatters two Saturdays ago, but that's another story. > > > > Why do we stick it out you may ask as every day gets harder. We remain > here > > because we put our faith in God and hope that one day the people can see > we > > are all Zimbabweans and hope for the best for our country and all the > people > > who live here. > > > > Please let people all over the world know about our plight by sending on > > this e-mail. These incidents I have described will affect the whole > country > > soon if some action is not taken soon. Please take precautions when > > travelling here, do not be hoodwinked into believing all is safe. Please > > pray for the farmers in jail. Thanks for the time you have taken to read > > this. > > Best wishes to all Joy Moolman > > P. S To all the people who watched the programme called Focus on SABC2 the > > other night, we thought the programme was very balanced as it showed both > > sides of the story. Theunis was one of the pilots who flew them to Karoi. > > Mark Hellam who spoke about his 5 year old daughter being traumatised is > our > > neighbour. > > > > > > > ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiLm.aVzvvT Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
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