Staff Writer
New evidence has revealed that white commercial farmers in 1997 paid US$20 000 each to maverick politician Tendai Biti as protection fees to safeguard their farms from invasions that broke out three years later.
This publication obtained receipts for 79 farmers who paid US$20 000 each to Tendai Biti Law firm. In total the money amounts to US$15 80 000.
However sources reveal the figure could rise to above US$100 million as more payments were made by scores of other farmers around the country most of whom had to borrow the money from banks as it was also before dollarisation.
Around 1997, Zimbabwe had approximately 4,800 large-scale commercial farms, which covered about 10.7 million hectares of land.
These farms were predominantly owned by white farmers and played a significant role in the country’s agricultural production, accounting for over 70% of agricultural output and around 90% of marketed crop production.
In addition to large-scale commercial farms, there were also small-scale commercial farms owned by whites, bringing the total number of commercial farmers to around 4,900.
Some of the productive white farmers who paid the US$20 000 “protection fees against farm invasions” to Biti include Phillip Tenant, (14/11/1997) receipt number BT 3995; Cherl Rhodes from Nyanga (16/11/1997) receipt number BT28970; Linda Bossop from Rusape (16/11/1997) receipt number 26 972; Michelle Ring from Vumba receipt number 27971.
The list also includes:
Keith Nicholson family (26/11/1997) receipt number BT80918; Robert Cobbet and family (14/11/1997) receipt number BT 4994; Mike and Mitchel Campbell (14/11/1997) receipt number BT6992; Roy Pitchford (14/11/1997) receipt number BT 9989; Patricia Alms and family from Karoi (14/11/1997) receipt number BT11987; Mary Usten from Mazowe receipt number BT14984; Tony Oafews from Beatrice (14/11/1997) receipt number BY16982; Simon Hills from Kwekwe (14/11/1997) receipt number BT18980; Ian Coles from Nyanga (16/11/1997) receipt number BT56942; Moressel Naye from Mutare (16/11/1997) receipt number BT22976; Maurice Truddy from Vumba (16/11/1997) receipt number BT24974; Nelson Lee from Marondera (16/11/1997) receipt number BT30968; Emma Nickelson from Marondera (16/11/1997) receipt number 31967 and Simon Clarkson (16/11/1997) receipt number BT33965.
There is also Tom Harvey from Mutoko (16/11/1997) receipt number BT42956; Mark Stevens (16/11/1997) receipt number BT40958; John Todds from Marondera; Antony Halls, Shelton Reeves; George Hill; Richard Silverton from Rusape; Peter Gildon; Benard Toddles and Claire Copperland from Nyanga.
More receipts are in possession of this publication.
The timing of the payments raises eyebrows. They happened three years before the chaotic land reform programme, sparked by the invasion of white-owned farms around the country by supporters of the late Robert Mugabe who was desperate to shore up political support at the time.
The above payments to Biti also happened two years before the launch of the MDC party led by Morgan Tsvangirai where Biti became a founding member raising questions of his opposition to Mugabe as it seemed he was already working with the government.
“The big question is where did the money go and why was Biti never arrested for the extortion. The other question is in what capacity was he collecting the money.
“When the land reform began, white farmers who demanded refunds after losing their farms died mysteriously,” a white former commercial farmer told this publication.
When the land reform took place and government started printing money to pay $50 000 gratuities to war veterans, it marked collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar.
At one time the Zimbabwean dollar fell from 1:5 against the US$ to 1:40 which meant Zimbabweans were plunged into poverty typical of the mafia style philosophy of impoverishing masses in order to have a stranglehold on them.
On 14 November 1997, Robert Mugabe gave order to Finance Minister to release Z$4.2 billion into the economy as a once off payment to over 50,000 war veterans.
The Zimbabwean Dollar crashed the same day by 71.5% against United States Dollar while Zimbabwe Stock Market lost 46% of its previous day market capitalization.
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