Re: White Farmers In De Mutha Country Not Allowed To Meet

"BroJack" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Yet another item you won't see reported by the big liberal media.
>
> BroJack
Here is the full story direct from JAG without press distortions of the
story:

JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE

PRESS STATEMENT - November 29, 2003

Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Internet: www.justiceforagriculture.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE PRESS RELEASE:

THE ILLEGAL CLOSURE OF THE JAG TITLE HOLDERS MEETING AT ART FARM

Justice for Agriculture convened a scheduled Title Holders meeting at
Art
Farm on Friday 28 November 2003 at 9:45am.  Zimbabwe Republic Police
(ZRP),
with more than ten details, from Borrowdale Police Station arrived at
10:00 am and alleged the meeting was illegal, as the police had not been
notified under the requirements of the Public Order and Security Act
(POSA).  They requested that we close the meeting forthwith.  JAG
Leadership tried to explain that as a legally registered Trust convening
a
meeting of its membership at a recognised agricultural training centre
and
venue for meeting of farmers, it was exempt from the requirements under
POSA to notify the police.

There were in excess of 200 farmers present at this meeting from all
over
Zimbabwe who had come to discuss legal issues relating to compensation,
restitution and the future of commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe.  This
was
a follow-up meeting to a meeting held on 15 May 2003.  Lawyers, loss
assessors, valuators and accountants as professional representatives
were
in attendance at this meeting and the previous one, to answer questions.

Police told the JAG Leadership that if the meeting was not closed
forthwith
and the farmers "beat it" they would "bring in the boys in blue".  The
police were intransigent in terms of our interpretation of POSA and
would
not listen to reason - the threat of intimidation and violence was clear
and blatant.  Regrettably the meeting was closed reluctantly in the
interest of members' safety.  The police then confiscated a camera
belonging to Murray Alexander who had been tasked with recording the
meeting for the purpose of transcribing minutes.  Borrowdale acting
Member
in Charge, Assistant Inspector Nyansopo, demanded money for having had
his
photograph taken by Mr Alexander.  Mr Alexander and attending lawyer Mr
Louis Bennett went to Borrowdale Police Station at the request of Asst
Inspector Nyansopo, followed by the JAG Leadership in support.

JAG sought legal opinion prior to the convening of this meeting and the
other convened earlier in the year with specific attention to POSA,
which
states under Section 24 (1) "subject to subsection (5), the organisers
of a
public gathering shall give at least four clear days' written notice of
the
holding of the gathering..."  However subsection (5) states, "this
section
shall not apply to public gatherings of a class described in the
schedule".
The schedule is clear in stating, "Classes of public gathering to which
section 24 does not apply: (c) Public gatherings of members of
professional, vocational or OCCUPATIONAL bodies held for purposes which
are
not political".

It was abundantly clear that there was nothing illegal about this
meeting
nor anything political in terms of the agenda and that the police had
come
solely with the intent of malicious harassment.  David Conolly, John
Worswick, Wynand Hart, Ben Freeth and Louis Bennett who attended
Borrowdale
Police Station, once having cleared up the matter of the camera, were
finally told they were under arrest in contravention of POSA.  We were
told
that the police at Borrowdale were acting under instructions from
"higher
up".  We eventually established that this allegation was in reference to
the Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station.

Beatrice Mtetwa, from Kantor & Immerman, attended the Borrowdale Police
Station to represent the JAG accused and Mr Louis Bennett (now himself
an
accused).  She managed to establish that we were not in fact under
arrest
but were wanted for questioning by the Law and Order Section and that
details from the Law and Order Section were on their way.  After a
protracted wait we were then informed that the Law and Order Section
were
out of fuel and could not attend.  The JAG Leadership, together with
Louis
Bennett and Beatrice Mtetwa and a detail, Constable Koni Leonard from
Borrowdale Police Station, travelled in our own personal vehicles to
Police
Central to meet with Chief Superintendent Madzingwa of the Law and Order
Section.  After a protracted discussion and elementary questioning,
which
required the submission of the JAG Trust Document and Notarial Deed of
Trust (showing registration stamps) together with both agendas relating
to
the two meetings it was established beyond doubt that as a legal
representative body (occupational i.e. farmers) with no politics
involved
in either agenda, we had no case to answer. Chief Superintendent
Madzingwa,
after apologising, also categorically stated that Borrowdale Police
Station
had not been acting under instructions of the Law and Order Section and
he
had no knowledge of this meeting being contentious.  The unlawfully
detained party left Police Central at roughly 4:00pm.

In light of the above, a legal action is already being pursued with
regard
to the illegal activities of the staff of Borrowdale Police Station
which
will involve civil damages claims being pursued.  It is JAG's contention
that accumulated costs accrued and lost as a result of the illegal
closure
of this meeting will be between Z$10-15 million.

JAG regrets the inconvenience caused to those who attended the meeting
by
the unwarranted and unlawful behaviour of certain members of the ZRP
specifically those who attended from Borrowdale Police Station and we
give
every assurance that JAG will continue to act transparently and
responsibly
within the law and that this matter will be pursued to its legal
conclusion.

JAG has every intention of reconvening this benchmark meeting at the
earliest opportunity, possibly as soon as Friday 5 December 2003.
PLEASE
WATCH THIS SPACE.