said the colonel to the farmer

S, a farmer's wife, delivers 20 litres of milk to our house on Friday mornings: 10 for us and 5 each for two friends (which is why power cuts are fine on Thursday nights when our milk has nearly run out. Cuts are most definitely not fine on Fridays, when a whole week's supply of milk will go sour). Strictly speaking, "side-marketing" is illegal: all milk has to be sold to the state Dairibord milk company. But Dairibord is collecting tankfuls of milk every other day and not paying for it.

Last Friday, S looked worried. An army colonel turned up at the farm earlier in the week. "I know you're busy," he said. "And I don't want to disturb you.

"We just need to fix a meeting to discuss me taking over the farm."

He had an offer letter (they all do). He showed it to S's husband. The date the letter was signed -- the letter giving the beneficiary authorisation to take over the white farm -- is Feb 12. That was the day before Zimbabwe's new unity government was sworn in.

The colonel's residential address was at the top of the letter. He lives on our road, three doors down.