Zimbabwe's farm invasions are spreading to the western half of the country, with a white landowner attacked and shot at north of Bulawayo.
The assault on Wayne Munro happened only a few miles from where Martin Olds, the first farmer murdered when Robert Mugabe first unleashed the mobs in 2000, was killed.
Mr Munro and his family, including his bed-ridden grandfather, are under siege from around 200 so-called “war veterans” at his property in Nyamandhlovu.
He was confronted in his office by a group of invaders allegedly in the pay of Obert Mpofu, the architect of Zimbabwe’s failed price freeze last year.
One of the was armed with a rifle and in a scuffle Mr Munro, 30, suffered a hand injury from an axe
His neighbour Chris Jarrett, 62, who has been in touch with the family by radio, said: “While running back through their vegetable garden the fellow with the rifle took four shots at him.
"If you have a mob storm into your office, point a gun at you and fire at you, you’re in major trouble.
"The staff have all been beaten and have run away into the bush.
“Last night and this morning they’ve had all these people wandering about making a noise, dancing around and toy-toying.
"They’re trying to create a situation where Wayne, who is known as being fairly aggressive, gives our crazy Government an excuse to declare a state of emergency so they can carry on with their muzzles in the trough for a little longer.”
Police at first refused to attend, then went to the scene but only confiscated three shotguns from Mr Munro, he added.
The presence of invaders in the area in Matabeleland North province is a sign that the campaign of violence instituted by the ruling Zanu- PF party is spreading — when Mr Olds was killed eight years ago the murder was carried out by a group of Shona-speakers, who are concentrated in the east of Zimbabwe and form the bulk of the Mr Mugabe’s support.
Topic: Zimbabwe farm invasions and attacks spread (Read 947 times)