The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo has condemned an invasion of a white-owned farm led by two nuns, amid a fresh upsurge of violence against Zimbabwe's white farmers. At least 13 properties have been invaded in the past fortnight and several farmers have suffered beatings. Arthur and Ansy Swales, who grow maize in the Banket district, 60 miles north of Harare, said they had first been approached in 2002 by nuns from the Little Children of the Blessed Lady order, led by Sister Helen Maminimini and Sister Notvurgo, about using some land to grow vegetables. The couple donated around 90 acres and helped the sisters prepare it, but said the nuns grew increasingly aggressive, demanding expensive equipment and more and more land. | That's nuns for you, give them a inch and they want the whole yard |
Then last month the nuns gave the Swales 24 hours to leave the farm. The couple refused. Eleven days later a group of youths from President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party arrived at midnight. "They went and woke up all the workers, and made them run and sing government songs," said Mrs Swales. | Dear god, no! Any thing but government songs! |
"They forced the guards to open the barn gates so they could get to the equipment. We called the police, but they didn't arrive for 14 hours." When they finally did, they said that the occupation was illegal and that the youths must go. Most have now left, but a group of about six to eight remain, squatting in some empty workers' houses, said Mrs Swales. "They tell us we can't move anything without their permission. We put all our capital into buying this machinery." | Take the hint, it's time to leave while you still can |
Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo condemned the nuns' actions, saying: "It definitely was not with the blessing of the Church ... If a nun, a priest or even a bishop steals, it's definitely wrong, because it's against God's law." | But not against Bob's. Sadly, this does not surprise me. Many "activist" priests and nuns supported the worst of the communist rebel movements in Latin America. |
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