Dear all, Thank you for your prayers. On the face of it you may wonder whether they are being answered or not. I will give you a brief synopsis of today: We managed to leave Mike and Angela's house this morning despite invaders all around and a small blockade of cut trees on the driveway going out to the main road. On leaving though "Landmine" gave his name as "Landmine Shamuyarira" and told us that the place was now his as he has the offer letter for Minister Nathan Shamuyarira.
Angela and Cath tried to go back a little later to sort out a wound on the old horse that lives in the garden and give him water as well as get the cat. They also needed to check the small herd of "house" dairy cows as they haven't been able to be milked for a few days due the invaders stopping the workers from being allowed to work. Cath got out of the car to remove the blockade of branches and "Landmine" the main invader tried to grab the car keys and get them both out of the car. They were denied access to the house. At the police station the police did not want to take a report regarding this situation. We had our lawyer, David Drury there, and they eventually took the report after considerable discussion. We spent the next 7 hours at the police station but police never came out to Mount Carmel to allow us to get to the house despite numerous requests. For all we know the house is being looted. They smashed the kitchen door lock a few nights ago and we have not been able to replace the lock. Police saw the smashed lock but "Landmine" was never arrested. They have now got total control to smash the rest of the locks and take what they like. Bruce managed to get one of the workers, Sinos, who was badly beaten up by the invaders a couple of days ago, x-rayed. It has transpired that he has a badly fractured skull. "Landmine" and the gang that beat Sinos, were at the police station 4 times in the 7 hours that we were there.
They walk in at will and appear to command considerable power with the police. We asked that they be arrested but police are clearly in collusion with them. As a result of these beatings and police arrests of the workers, many of the other workers remain in hiding or simply just sleeping rough in the bush. I asked the police Sergeant doing the case regarding the arrest of our workers what "Landmines" real name was. He told me to get me to get it from "Landmine." When I asked "Landmine" his real name [in the Sergeants presence] he refused to give it to me. I was told to get it from the police superiors. Assistant Inspector Sasa refused to give it to me as it was a "police matter." Inspector Zengeni said I was "provoking him." Chief Inspector Manika, despite him being on the phone with "Landmine" on a number of occasions, told our lawyer that he does not know his name but will find out. On the 4 occasions that "Landmine" was there that afternoon he somehow failed to find out! Towards the end of the afternoon I was asked to get Martin Joubert to the police station as they just wanted to record a statement from him. When he arrived they said that they wanted to charge him for kidnapping! [a totally false charge]. They started recording a statement which was done by the light of a cell phone into the night as they had no candles. They have now put Martin into jail with the other workers.
Dave Drury managed to get private access to some of our workers who were in jail on similar charges. They were not being brought to court and were being illegally incarcerated beyond the 48 hour limit. This was pointed out to Chief Inspector Manika but he did not let them out of custody. The workers showed how they were tortured by police when having statements extracted from them. They were beaten using a heavy electrical cable. Dave saw the cable and the welts from the beating. We also got information that having chased all the guards away, "Landmine" is now taking car loads of mangos out in the maroon Prado that he drives and selling them at the market.
On leaving the police I went out to try to get to Mike and Angela's house on foot in the dark with a friend. Bruce had told Chief Inspector Manika that we were going to try to sleep at the house to stop any looting that might be taking place. The Chief Inspector said that he thought this would be fine. On getting to within 100 yards of the house we were ambushed by some invaders who were waiting for us. They fired stones with catapults. We had to run for it while stones whistled past our ears. My friend went down when a big rock hit his leg but he was up in a flash and somehow avoided capture. He went down again when he leapt the trees and branches blocking the road and he is quite grazed up. It was a great mercy that we avoided capture because another cracked skull, 50 yards from where they cracked mine 9 month ago, would not have been good. So today has been another difficult one. At this stage we are quiet at our house though; so we are thankful for that.
The answer to prayer is that despite all this and virtually no sleep for several nights and hardly any food, we are not discouraged.
It is a hard time but I know God is with us and I know that this lack of discouragement has to be from God! Please keep praying, With love, Ben."
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