Christian Allard, the Scottish Nationalist who aspires to be an MSP, continues to support President Mugabe's ruinous commercial farm seizures (I back Mugabe land grab says MSP in waiting, News, May 12).
He clearly has no understanding of the detrimental effect on the vast majority of Zimbabweans whose livelihoods have been destroyed. Unemployment remains above 85% and an estimated two million people require food aid this year.
Since the farm invasions began in 2000, the country – previously known as the bread basket of southern Africa – has been unable to feed itself and has been reliant on international food handouts.
If Mr Allard were to visit Mount Carmel farm, from which Mike Campbell and I and our families were violently evicted with no compensation, he would see the situation for himself.
There are no crops in the ground, our tractors have been wrecked, our homesteads and some of our workers' houses have burnt down, the animals in our wildlife sanctuary have been poached, and our large, loyal workforce and their families are unemployed and struggling to survive. Mike Campbell, my father-in-law, died in 2011 as a result of injuries sustained during his abduction and torture.
Mugabe's close ally, Nathan Shamuyarira, who took the farm but has made no attempt to farm it, is seldom seen there.
The destruction on Mount Carmel is but one example of the destruction that has made Zimbabwe one of the poorest countries in the world. Allard's support for Mugabe is worrying in the extreme. Mugabe continues to disregard the terrible plight of the majority of the Zimbabwe people in the wake of the violent land seizures and uses selective food distribution and violence to control the rural vote.
He and his Zanu PF party have complete disregard for the rule of law and international judgments. Scottish Nationalists ought to take note.
Ben Freeth (evictee of Mount Carmel Farm, Zimbabwe)
Harare
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