200 Farm workers served with retrenchment letters after Mugabe's threats of fresh farm invasions

At least 200 workers at Mitchell and Mitchell Estate face the axe after being served with retrenchment letters. This follows comments by President Robert Mugabe in which he threatened to seize all farms owned by white people in Mashonaland East. Mugabe claimed that over 70 white farmers had been ‘harboured’ by ousted governor Ray Kaukonde.

One of the workers spoke to New Zimbabwe saying:

At least 200 workers at Mitchell and Mitchell and Churchill farms received letters last week notifying them that the company intended to retrench them due to low business. The letters were signed by the company’s director and owner, Jane Mitchell,

However, when we queried this, we were told by the farm directors that the real reason was that the company was facing uncertainty due to statements made by the President (Mugabe) recently that he would take over all the remaining farms owned by white farmers in Marondera.

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