Farmer set on fire in Zimbabwe

**~~giggs88~~** · 30 Nov 05,, 23:50

Farmer set on fire in Zimbabwe

By Peta Thornycroft at Ingwerati Farm, Norton

One of Zimbabwe's last remaining white farmers was strangled and burned to death in an attack inside his home yesterday.

Don Stewart, 68, was set upon shortly before dawn in the bedroom of his tightly-guarded homestead near Norton, 25 miles west of Harare. He was one of the last 300 white farmers left in Zimbabwe. There were 4,000 five years ago.
Police insisted that Mr Stewart's murder was the work of common criminals and had no political motive.

His assailants were unable to penetrate the barred windows and reinforced doors of his homestead on Ingwerati dairy farm.
Instead, they entered through the roof and strangled Mr Stewart in his bed. Then they covered him with a mattress, doused it in petrol and set him alight.
Several of Mr Stewart's workers tried to rescue him. But when they got inside the house, also through the roof, he was already dead. Nothing was stolen but a hunting rifle.

Mr Stewart, who was born in Zimbabwe, lived alone. After the strain of five years of continuous violence against white farmers, his wife, Margaret, had moved to Britain.
His son, David, worked alongside him on Ingwerati farm and lived a mile away in a cottage. He was too distraught to speak yesterday.
John Worsley-Worswick, the chief executive of Justice for Agriculture Trust, a pressure group, said: "We are appalled at the cold-blooded murder of yet another of Zimbabwe's few remaining productive commercial farmers. It was particularly abhorrent at this time of Zimbabwe's acute food crisis."
Zimbabwe's summer rains started last week but few crops have been planted. Commercial agriculture has collapsed following President Robert Mugabe's purge of white farmers.

Mr Stewart's murder came as the self-destruction of Zimbabwe's opposition allowed President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party to sweep to an easy victory in elections for a newly-created senate.

My faith in humanity plummeted after reading that one.

**Parihaka** · 01 Dec 05,, 00:46

The depressing monotony of what is happening in Zimbabwe will only continue. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. At least 2-3 years minimum by which time Mugabe & his henchmen will be living on the Cote De Zur and 100's of 1000's of their countrymen have starved to death or been killed. The entire infrastructure of the country is being sold off as scrap, all the farming machinery, Govt. works machinery, telecommunications equipment, you name it. None of the European Governments are prepared to do anything about it for fear of being called colonialist and none of the African countries are prepared to do anything because they secretly buy into the 'ridding Zimbabwe of the last vestiges of colonialism' line sold by Mugabe.

**THL** · 01 Dec 05,, 13:30

One would like to think that over the last few hundred years of the world becoming more educated we would also become more civilized. It almost seems as though the opposite is happening.

**dalem** · 01 Dec 05,, 16:56

Originally Posted by TopHatsLiberal

One would like to think that over the last few hundred years of the world becoming more educated we would also become more civilized. It almost seems as though the opposite is happening.

Most of Africa did not join in the rise of education and civilization. Some places would not, others could not, and now we have the current situation of vast numbers of uneducated people.

I don't see how the situation in Africa is solvable in any way other than time.

-dale

**Julie** · 01 Dec 05,, 17:21

I don't see much difference than what is going on in France. Is France educated and civilized, or are they just pretending to be?

**THL** · 01 Dec 05,, 18:01

Originally Posted by Julie

I don't see much difference than what is going on in France. Is France educated and civilized, or are they just pretending to be?

Depends who you ask - the same with the US (unless the question is in reference to my ex-in laws. Then the answer is pretending...badly pretending).

I think it is just sad that anyone can set someone else on fire simply for not "liking" them. I know it goes beyond that, but I can only find simple language to use for this primitive behavior.

**Julie** · 01 Dec 05,, 18:43

Originally Posted by TopHatsLiberal

I think it is just sad that anyone can set someone else on fire simply for not "liking" them. I know it goes beyond that, but I can only find simple language to use for this primitive behavior.

You've obviously never seen the movie, "The Burning Bed." Farrah Fawcett played the victimized wife/mother who took daily beatings from her husband while her children watched. She eventually got enough, and while he was asleep, doused the bed with gasoline, set it afire (with him in it), and loaded up the kids and drove away.

**dalem** · 01 Dec 05,, 19:00

Originally Posted by Julie

I don't see much difference than what is going on in France. Is France educated and civilized, or are they just pretending to be?

Different situations. One is a physical expression of the frustrations of an underclass, the other is a targeted pogrom against a particular group. That's not to say that the former can't turn into the latter, but so far they are not true equivalents.

And as far as horrors, remember that we are only 60 some years distant from a group of properly-civilized and well-educated Europeans actively trying to exterminate an entire group of people.

Only 60 years in the past, and no telling how soon before it happens again.

-dale

**Julie** · 01 Dec 05,, 20:05

Originally Posted by dalem

Different situations.

Different situations....but the use of arson as a means of permanently exterminating something your eyes never want to see again....is the same desired effect in any given situation.

**Wraith601** · 01 Dec 05,, 20:49

Just more evidence the world should just turn its back and let Africa self destruct instead of maintaining our ineffective and unsubstainable programs of "aid".

**Parihaka** · 01 Dec 05,, 21:08

Originally Posted by Wraith601

Just more evidence the world should just turn its back and let Africa self destruct instead of maintaining our ineffective and unsubstainable programs of "aid".

Consider this simple fact. More money flows out of Africa than into it.

**dalem** · 01 Dec 05,, 21:25

Originally Posted by parihaka

Consider this simple fact. More money flows out of Africa than into it.

But coldly consider this fact: Those resources will still be in the ground long after all the Africans have killed themselves off.

-dale

**Parihaka** · 01 Dec 05,, 22:03

Originally Posted by dalem

But coldly consider this fact: Those resources will still be in the ground long after all the Africans have killed themselves off.

-dale

Even with the current madness going on in various parts of the continent African population growth overall is currently at about 3%, the fastest in the world. Killing themselves off just ain't going to happen.

**dalem** · 01 Dec 05,, 22:05

Originally Posted by parihaka

Even with the current madness going on in various parts of the continent African population growth overall is currently at about 3%, the fastest in the world. Killing themselves off just ain't going to happen.

Fair point. Does that number take into account the current 20million+ AIDS cases?

-dale

**Parihaka** · 01 Dec 05,, 22:07

Originally Posted by dalem

Fair point. Does that number take into account the current 20million+ AIDS cases?

-dale

Dunno, just did a general search on population growth, I'll check it out.

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