Dear Editor

Communities in Matepatepa farming community are living in fear of soldiers who are moving around beating them accusing them of stealing from Major General Chima”s farm where they guard and are used as cheap labour.

A passing-by worker pulled a banana from a tree in Major General’s farm. The soldiers started beating him all the way to the worker’s home. The angry worker retaliated, picked a hoe and bit one of the soldiers hand breaking a bone. Other workers intervened and started shouting at the soldiers.

The soldiers then started beating them.

Suddenly a truck load of more soldiers from Harare arrived having been sent to terrorise people. The soldiers have since declared no go areas on some roads and public places.

What is surprising is that Major General Chima is using soldiers as labourers and guards on his farm. While the Finance Ministry is cracking its head to reduce on the civil service salary bill, senior government officers are using soldiers who should be in the barracks as cheap labour. The same situation is also happening at Piedmont Farm in Matepatepa.

Is this government policy that senior army officers can access cheap labour from soldiers?