Elderly widow jailed for not vacating farm – The Standard

Name of article/story: Elderly widow jailed for not vacating farm
Name of Publication: The Standard
Date: 8-14 November 2009
Country: Zimbabwe
Theme:
Skills: Perspective
Genre: Court report

GEM classification: Gender Blind

Description:
The story is based on a court report whereby a 79-year-old woman was given a wholly suspended three month jail term for refusing to vacate her farm. The woman was then given 30 days to vacate her dairy farm that she had lived on since 1957. The farm was being taken over as part of government’s land redistribution programme.

Analysis
The story appeals to the reader in that it presents the elderly woman as a victim of government’s continued seizure of white-owned farms and properties. It is told in such a way that she comes across as an innocent victim not deserving of what has happened to her. The writer tells the readers that the woman has lived on the farm since 1957, more than 50 years, to further emphasise the cruelty of the state.

Headline
The story’s headline, ‘Elderly widow jailed for not vacating farm’ captures the general mood of the story. Important elements of how the writer views the woman come out. Firstly, she is elderly and a widow, which makes her a more vulnerable person. This, therefore, creates an image of a helpless victim from the outset. The headline, like the rest of the story, is supposed to appeal to the reader’s sympathy. The widow status mentioned in the headline also helps in showing that, in the absence of a husband, the elderly woman is even more vulnerable. One would perhaps have expected the headline to read ‘elderly farmer jailed for not vacating farm’. The farmer’s sex, her marital status and age are useful in setting the scene for her portrayal throughout the story.

Sources
The article is based on a court report and as such the writer relies mainly on what the magistrate and the woman’s lawyers had to say during and after the court proceedings. The woman does not speak at any point in the story. She is a helpless victim with no agency and therefore has to be spoken for. The sourcing in the story is completely gender blind as only male sources express their opinions. This story is clearly an example of how most women’s property rights are violated on a daily basis. The state shows complete disregard of the economic provisions of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. The reporter misses out on an opportunity to bring this to the fore instead choosing to base this story entirely on court proceedings.

The story could have been further strengthened by soliciting comments from human rights groups and activists.

The magistrate is said to have told the “79 year old grandmother that she had 30 days to vacate her dairy farm on which she has lived since 1957.” There is no further elaboration on that statement or any comment. The magistrate also went further as to threaten to put the woman behind bars if she did not vacate the farm within the specified period.

The magistrate is therefore presented as unsympathetic to the woman’s plight, deliberately ignoring her call for leniency.

The lawyers also speak, saying that the state had made no plans to compensate the elderly widow. They even mention race to explain why the farm has to be vacated. Again this shows that there is no justice in the way that the case is being handled.

The other source in the story is the woman’s son, President of the country’s Commercial Farmers’ Union, who said afterwards that all was lost. Deon Theron says his mother would have to slaughter all her cows before the 30-day period. This again shows that the woman is at the mercy of the state and there is nothing else that can be done.

Language
The language used in the story presents a hopeless situation whereby the chances of the woman retaining her farm are close to none. First the owner is a senior citizen, with no husband by her side. The fact that she is described as grandmother shows that she is too old to even fight the case. She is also described by her lawyers as a victim, which further denies her agency.

Theron’s son is also quoted as having said “all was lost.” This is clear resignation and giving up the fight.

In describing the magistrate’s reaction to the defence team’s appeal, the writer says the magistrate was “unmoved” and threatened to put the “distressed elderly Theron” behind bars. The magistrate is portrayed as a heartless man who refuses to show any emotion. Such description is common in media where men are often presented as strong and do not easily show emotion, unlike women who are presented as likely to be moved easily.

Visual images
The story is accompanied by an imaged of Theron with the caption “Distressed”. This is to further appeal to readers’ emotions. This is consistent with the portrayal of Theron. Theron is shown with her left hand on her chin, and looks dejected and helpless.

Story angle and perspective
The story is told entirely from the perspective of three male sources. These are the magistrate, Theron’s lawyer and her son. The two later sources are of the opinion that the elderly woman has been treated harshly by the state.

The writer of this story has shown Theron as a helpless woman with no agency and who does not have the power to deal with the situation. The readers are told she is a widow, is very old and is only a grandmother. All she can do is just sit and watch or look to her son to handle the situation.

Placement or positioning
The story is on the third page of the newspaper. It is under the local news section. The first few pages of most newspapers are for stories regarded as important. In this case it could be a sign that the paper feels that the elderly woman has been unjustly treated by the state. Most media will tuck away court reports in the middle pages of their papers, unless they involve prominent people.