adminDuring the first phase of the land distribution programme, the farmer, Mr Paul Goodwin, is alleged to have told the workers that they would get their salaries from the Government.
The workers managed to track him down after 12 years and he is alleged to have repeated the same sentiments, which raised the ire of the workers.
In an interview, Mr Jetro Ncube, who was the supervisor at the time, said Mr Goodwin’s sentiments were very disrespectful to the President and they were aimed at causing a misunderstanding between people and the Government.
“Mr Goodwin’s sentiments were very disrespectful, not only to the President but to the whole country.
“He had the intention of causing a misunderstanding between Government and the people but he was wrong about it,” he said.
Mr Ncube said when they finally managed to track him down, they did not get any joy.
“When we finally knew of his whereabouts, we called him but he was rude, telling us to go and claim our money from the Government and leave him alone.
“It’s been 12 years since we last saw him and by then we were still using the Zimbabwean dollar. We wonder how much he is going to pay us now that we are using foreign currency and that we have gone for long without pay,” said Mr Ncube.
Another former worker, Mrs Pryness Khanye, said she felt insulted when Mr Goodwin kept on insisting that they get their money from the Government, which showed that he was keen on exploiting them.
“I really felt insulted by what Mr Goodwin told us and that shows he was only bent on exploiting us. It is 32 years after independence and we are still being oppressed. That is bad,” she said.
Mrs Khanye said all she wanted was her money as she was struggling to make ends meet and send children to school.
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions acting information and publicity manager, Mr Paddorn Mangena, said what Mr Goodwin had done was inhumane. “Mr Goodwin did not have to run away and lie to his former workers, that is inhumane. Instead he has to sit down and negotiate with them such that they can map the way forward,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Mr Goodwin denied that he deserted the workers, saying he was chased away from the farm.
“I did not desert them but was chased away from the farm and when I left, I did not owe anyone a dime,” said Mr Goodwin.
He said when the Government took over the farm, he had nothing to do with the farm anymore but denied ever saying they should go and claim their money from the President and the Government.
“When the Government took over I had nothing to do with the farm but told the workers that the law stipulated that they would be compensated by the Government when it takes over,” he said.
Online Reporter