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New look for Zimbabwe cabinet
Zimbabwe war veterans
War veterans were told to stay on the farms
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has announced his new cabinet, three weeks after the general election.

All 21 ministers in the greatly reduced cabinet are either members or supporters of the president's party, Zanu-PF.

Not included is the leader of the independence war veterans, Chenjerai Hunzvi, whose followers have occupied hundreds of white-owned farms in recent months.


Where we are on the farms there is no-one who is going to move us out of those farms

Chenjerai Hunzvi, war veterans' leader
In the elections at the end of June the opposition Movement for Democratic Change made big gains at the expense of the governing Zanu-PF party.

In a challenge to the government, Mr Hunzvi told squatters not to move off the land they have occupied, as the government has asked them to.

He said the target of 200 farms the government plans to transfer in the first tranche of land transfers was not enough.

Fresh look

The outgoing cabinet had 44 members, more than twice as many ministers as in the new cabinet.

Most of the ministers have not been in government before, as Mr Mugabe tries to portray a fresh image after 20 years in power.

Mr Mugabe appears to have given in to pressure both from international donors and domestic critics to reduce spending and abolish some of Zimbabwe's ministries.

Chenjerai Hiter Hunzvi
Hunzvi: Launched a direct challenge to the government
Over half of the new ministers were not returned to parliament in last month's elections - they are prominent business people and academics.

The key Finance Ministry is one of those headed by a well-respected businessman, Simba Makoni.

BBC Harare correspondent Joseph Winter says Mr Mugabe will be hoping that his new finance minister can attract the return of donors, who have cut off aid in recent years. But there are fears that he may not be allowed to take the tough political decisions needed to rescue Zimbabwe's economy.

The casualties

The most prominent casualty is former Minister of Justice Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was defeated in the recent elections.

He was widely seen as a possible successor to Mr Mugabe, but his chances have been dealt a severe blow by his omission from the government.

Another loser is the most recent minister of lands, Kumbira Kangi, who is currently facing charges of corruption.

War veterans

Chenjerai Hitler Hunzvi's call on war veterans not to leave white-owned farms is a direct challenge to the Zimbabwean Government, who earlier said that war veterans occupying farms which are not part of the government's redistribution programme will be shifted elsewhere.

Vice-President Joseph Msika on Saturday announced the final phase in the government's controversial plans to take over white-owned farms and redistribute them to black peasant farmers.

At a news conference he said the government would start resettling black farmers on 200 white-owned farms.

Ugly mood

Mr Hunzvi, leader of the association of veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war in the 1970s, delivered a fiery and confrontational speech at a rally in Harare.

"Where we are on the farms there is no-one who is going to move us out of those farms."

Since February, war veterans have led landless blacks in the often violent occupation of 1,600 farms.

Mr Hunzvi said that no one should move until they were sure that the government's redistribution programme was working well.

Correspondents say the mood at the gathering was ugly. A black Zimbabwean journalist was beaten up because of his newspaper's perceived opposition to land redistribution.

At one point, Mr Hunzvi said any white farmer who opposed his followers would be buried "six feet under the ground".

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CIO Harassment
Date: Sunday, 16 July 2000 4:35

Please be aware of your rights! Members of the public are currently being harassed by people claiming they are from the President's office and / or the CIO.

The President's office and CIO *do not* have any authority to enter your premises or search your property without your permission. Nor are you under any obligation to accompany them *anywhere*, go to their offices or wherever they tell you, or in fact comply with any request, unless they have a duly signed and stamped search warrant or warrant of arrest. The ZRP carries out arrests, not the CIO.

Should you be harassed in this way, contact a lawyer *immediately*! Under no circumstances should you accompany anyone you do not know well *anywhere*, and if forced, MAKE SURE SOMEONE KNOWS YOU HAVE BEEN TAKEN! TRY NOT TO GO ALONE -- get someone to follow if at all possible.

It is very important that you safeguard your rights and those of others. Please pass this information on to everyone you know!

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Saturday 15 July 2000
Zimbabwe's vice president Joseph Msika has promised that 200 formerly white-owned farms would be distributed to landless blacks "within three or four hours" .

But there was no information on which farms were to be redistributed, and it was unclear who would receive the land.

By late this afternoon - six hours after Mr Msika spoke - no formal resettlement had begun.

Veterans of the bush war that ended white minority rule in 1980 had gathered at the ruling party headquarters to hear how they will benefit from land reform, but President Robert Mugabe did not appear to address them as scheduled.

In a statement, the Commercial Farmers Union of white farmers said it had been told that on Monday it would receive a list of farms the government plans to redistribute, and that occupiers should start leaving farms "almost immediately."

Mr Msika said the government did not expect any resistance when war veterans and others were moved from occupied farms to the newly nationalised land.

But Chenjerai Hunzvi, chairman of the militant Liberation War Veterans' Association, which has spearheaded occupations of more than 1,600 white-owned farms, told veterans at the party headquarters not to leave the occupied land.

"We are not moving anywhere," he told more than 1,000 supporters. "White settlers should leave Zimbabwe altogether."

Mr Hunzvi said he and his supporters would allow the government two weeks to declare all occupied farms state property and ready for immediate redistribution. He did not specify what he would do if the government disregarded his instructions.

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