No, the recent national protest in Zimbabwe was not for the return of white farmers

One post on Facebook from November 30, 2018 is a link to an article headlined: “Heavy protest as Zimbabwe's Economy collapses, citizens cry for return of white farmers”. This has been shared 2,552 times.

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a screenshot of the Facebook post on November 30, 2018

A few comments on the post prophesy that the same fate will befall South Africans, “Take note South Africans and all that happens here is that the farmers are being slaughtered daily”

Another comment with 42 likes wrote, “You got what you wanted, didn't you!! Don't cry now!” in response to the headline. 

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a screenshot of the Facebook comments captured on December 3, 2018

The official Twitter account for the main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), tweeted notices ahead of the demonstration, detailing the cause and the event -- but with no plea for the return of white farmers.

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a screenshot of the tweet on November 28, 2018

This was reiterated in a thread from the account titled: “Why you should Join the Demonstration Tomorrow”. The thread breaks down seven points of promises the party believes Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed on -- also unrelated to the claim the headline suggests.

AFP attended the demonstration on November 29, 2018 and reported that much of the marchers' anger was focused on Zimbabwe's renewed economic problems. Below is what some participants told AFP:

"We are here to demonstrate against the economic crisis and the election that was stolen," said Donald Bango, a 25-year-old security guard.

"Prices of basic commodities are going up and we cannot access drugs from pharmacies," said Rachel Chakanetsa, a 53-year-old widow who was at the demonstration.

The marchers delivered a petition to parliament saying Zimbabwe was in "an unending crisis of legitimacy".

Many white farmers had their land seized in the years after 2000 under a government policy introduced by then-president Robert Mugabe that was supposedly meant to address colonial inequalities. But much of the land fell into disuse and the collapse of agriculture production hastened the hyperinflation that wrecked the economy.