Confused farmers see only one way out
Jump to full article: Afrik.com (fr), 2008-06-21
Author: Bruce Sibanda
Intro: ZIMBABWE'S new breed of farmers created by Robert Mugabe's chaotic and violent seizures of farmers from whites are a bitter lot. Those who ventured into tobacco cultivation are angry with the government. . . .
As first-time tobacco growers, she said she had come unprepared for a long stay in Harare and admit their stay has been a nightmare. At as early as 5am Angela and scores of others wake up to boil water for their husbands and make breakfast for him in aluminium tins picked up in a bin in the industrial area. . . .
"On Thursday last week names for the cheques that were ready were read out. My name was not there," Angela continues. "Nobody has told us what is going on. They are very rude. They snap at us and tell us 'go back home, your money is coming'. Some are lucky. They got part payments."
When males leave for the auction floor to wait for their payments and sell their tobacco, women take turns to stay on guard and take a quick bath behind the tobacco floors.
"If you are on guard you have to make sure when you see a man approaching you whistle so that the other women bathing cover themselves up," Tarisayi Chirondza joins in. . . .
After weeks of being subjected to inhuman living conditions, tobacco farmers will get a chance of going back to their villages as the country's three tobacco sales floors will close temporarily on Tuesday next week to pave way for the June 27 Presidential run-off.
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