Let's see how liberal our liberals really are
Is the Zimbabwe gov't right in this?
Zimbabwe farmers defy deadline
Court boost for Zimbabwe farmers
August 9, 2002 Posted: 12:50 AM EDT (0450 GMT)
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Almost 2000
white farmers in Zimbabwe are
awaiting the government's next move
after they defied a deadline to leave
their land or face eviction.
As yet there have been no immediate
reports of action against the farmers.
At least 1,900 farmers have stayed in place
along with all the workers they employ
and the families that live on the farm,
Jenny Williams from the Farmers' Group
Justice For Agriculture told CNN.
The farmers are expecting the government
to take action, Williams said.
"We are expecting that certain people will
be targeted. We received calls yesterday [Thursday] from them saying they have
been threatened and they await arrest," she told CNN.
Local police say they have no plans to use force to remove the 2900 of the
country's 4500 farmers ordered to abandon their farms by midnight Thursday
under the country's land-reform program.
But Ignatius Chombo, the local government minister,
said that those defying orders will be "arrested and
dealt with by police." Farmers face a fine and up to
two years in prison if convicted.
President Robert Mugabe's seizure order targets an
estimated ninety-five percent of white-owned farms. It also affects about 350,000
farm workers -- most of them black laborers -- and altogether two million family
members.
Earlier on Thursday, farmers won a small victory when Zimbabwe's High Court
invalidated one of the eviction orders.
Court ruling
In a landmark ruling, the court ruled the state could not confiscate land owned by
one farmer -- Andrew Kockett -- because it had not informed the National
Merchant Bank, which has a mortgage registered over the property.
Observers say the decision could throw a lifeline to many of the farmers facing
eviction.
"Farmers in the same situation as me -- which is I believe the majority -- in very
few cases or in no cases has the bond holder been served with these notices,"
Kockett told South African radio.
"Whether that automatically gives the other farmers cover I don't know."
Farm officials said many farmers would wait to see how Mugabe's government
reacted to the court verdict.
Some farmers have already withdrawn from their properties to towns and cities.
This weekend is a public holiday the ruling party traditionally uses to rally support
for its policies.
Trucks laden with household goods drove into Harare from surrounding farming
districts on Thursday, but some farmers told Reuters news agency they might
return next week.
Mugabe -- Zimbabwe's sole ruler since the former Rhodesia gained independence in
1980 -- says his land seizures are meant to right the wrongs of British colonialism,
which left 70 percent of the best farmland in white hands.
In May, Mugabe passed a law giving 2,900 farmers 45 days to wind up operations
and another 45 days -- expiring at midnight on August 8 -- to leave their land and
make way for black settlers.
The World Food Programme says half of Zimbabwe's 12.5 million people face
severe hunger.
cnn.com
Come on, guys (and girls)! Stand up for Marxism! |
