Aucklander's tragic link to Zimbabwe farm death

It was a haunting image that went around the world - a photo of a dog curled up next to the body of its owner, murdered on his farm in Zimbabwe.

Readers saw the picture on the front page of the Herald's World section on Wednesday, and for one man, it was especially shocking - the dead man was his father.

Robin Ford, 27, and his mother left Zimbabwe two years ago when President Robert Mugabe's supporters began the illegal seizure of white-owned commercial farms. They settled in Auckland.

Mr Ford's father, Terry Ford, stayed behind.

Yesterday, Mr Ford said he wanted to thank his family and friends for their "wonderful, kind support in this time of sadness".

A friend told the Herald that Mr Ford, an accounts manager at internet company Iconz, could not afford to travel to Zimbabwe for the funeral.

Mr Ford had tried to persuade his father to join him in New Zealand but he refused, saying he wanted to stay on the Mashonaland West farm where he was raised.

On Monday, he was shot in the head near his homestead, 40km southwest of Harare, apparently while trying to escape an attack by settlers and war veterans.



Harare police have arrested four men in connection with Mr Ford's murder.

It is understood Mr Ford ran into trouble with a group of settlers and war veterans while on a routine maintenance visit to the farm.

Neighbour Ben Freeth said: "Terry called the police and two of his neighbours, who also alerted the cops. They didn't respond. They later said their driver was asleep so there was nothing they could do."

Hours later the desperate farmer called his neighbours to say that the police still had not arrived.

As chanting war veterans broke down the doors to his double-storey farmhouse, Mr Ford tried to escape.



Mr Freeth said his friend managed to get into his pickup truck. Seeing the gate barricaded with another vehicle, the frightened farmer drove at the fence, but did not get through.

"They dragged him out," said Mr Freeth.

"He was beaten badly, then they shoved him against a tree and shot him in the face."

The first witnesses found Mr Ford's body slumped against the tree while his dog, Squeak, stood guard.