"The Zimbabwe Situation" news page
SPECIAL SITREP
1 CFU Congress Postponed
The 57th Annual Congress of the Commercial Farmers' Union due to be held on
Tuesday 1st August and Wednesday 2nd August is postponed to the first week
of September.
Please advise all delegates and invited guests accordingly.
2 Farm Shutdowns
a) CFU policy to shut down Farmers' Associations in which invaders continue
to threaten evictions and cause work stoppages continues in place and should
be used on Monday and Tuesday if necessary.
b) The CFU fully supports the National Closure called by the ZCTU and other
civic groups in support of the specific and reasonable demand that:
"there is restoration of law and order and compliance with the rulings of
the High Court handed down by Justice Garwe and Justice Chinengo."
The period of this National Closure is scheduled for WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and
FRIDAY, 2nd, 3rd and 4th August 2000.
3 Meeting with His Excellency, President R G Mugabe
The President, Director, Nick Swanepoel and the Union's legal adviser, Alex
Masterson, have been informed that a meeting will be held with President
Mugabe tomorrow, Monday 31st August 2000.
The principle objective of the meeting is the restoration of law and order
on farms and the removal of all invaders.
Within this context it will be stated that:
#Farmers need help and direction because:
- anarchy exists in many farming areas.
- there is disruption, violence and uncertainty.
- economics are impossible.
# Disorder and Uncertainty created by differences between
- what Government says and does.
- what Dr Hunzvi says and does.
The result is a public perception that:
- Government has lost control and Dr Hunzvi is in control.
- land is available to anyone for the taking.
- Police are powerless to stop and have no direction to stop the anarchy by
invaders.
#The National Shutdown by farmers is because of the impossible situation
they are in.
- urban areas such as Karoi shutdown because they depend on farmers'
prosperity.
#We must move forward together. The Union and its members are not against
land reform but cannot accept the current approach because:
- while Government purports to be following the law, it is not doing so, and
everyone knows this.
- individual farmers will be challenging and succeeding acquisitions in
court.
- the 804 farm list already objected to in 1997 and 1998 is illogical and
does not comply with Government's own criteria.
- the Union cannot advise its members to give away land or concede to
no-compensation acquisitions when money is available for Government and
farms if proper channels are followed.
#Farmers have had enough but do not want to prolong existing conflict. We
do want to co-operate but need to treat land reform as a development issue,
not a political issue.
David W Hasluck
Director
CFU
COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNION
FARM INVASIONS UPDATE
SUNDAY 30 JULY 2000
Manicaland
Quiet.
Mashonaland Central
Farms in several districts have been visited by the army. At this stage this seems to be little more than an intelligence gathering operation.
Feedback from two separate war vet meetings yesterday indicate that the war vets have been instructed to immediately occupy any farms which participate in the three day work stoppage scheduled from Wednesday next week.
Centenary - there was a break in at Nova Doma yesterday. Household goods, clothing and jewellery were stolen and the house was ransacked. This would appear to be opportunistic criminal activity. Pre-irrigation has been stopped at Chi Doma today.
Horseshoe - pole and dagga structures have been built at Andrea and land prep is still prevented at Manori and Chiriengwe, both of which are listed for compulsory acquisition.
Mvurwi - yesterday it was reported that the army told invaders to move off Pembi Falls. At this stage it is premature to read too much into this as the owner expects the invaders to return today.
Tsatse - there is a large build up of numbers on Ramahori, which is listed for compulsory acquisition.
Mazowe/Concession - yesterday police intervened to discourage a pungwe at Cranham Farm. There is another build up of numbers on Dorking Farm.
Harare West/Nyabira - the manager of Glenara was threatened by phone with hostile action after he denied requests for firewood.
Mashonaland East
No report available for today. A full report will be in tomorrow's sitrep.
Mashonaland West (North)
One invasion on Argyle Farm yesterday. Leader said he would be back with 200 people today. Otherwise, area quiet.
Mashonaland West (South)
Kadoma - Kanyemba Farm has about 40 very militant invaders, but the situation is under control. Collingdale Farm had 8 war vets move on, displacing the previous occupiers. They have cut the farm into 8 portions and given the owner 7 days to get his crops off farm.
Chegutu - On Torphin Farm, the owner attended a poaching scene, where poachers with rifles were followed last night and caught with meat on the road. During the arrest, a shot was fired and a poacher wounded, but he is in a satisfactory condition in hospital. One of the weapons retrieved belonged to one of accused's brother in the army. On Mkorati ranch, two poachers were apprehended by the owner and game scouts yesterday evening. One weapon was an automatic FN, the other an automatic shotgun. These weapons are with the police. One poacher is an ex-member of the police, the other is a municipal worker for Chegutu. Investigations are underway.
Masvingo
Much the same as yesterday, with cutting of trees, erection of shelters, poaching and new invasions. Section 8 orders have been delivered to 5 farms. Details on further deliveries in tomorrow's report. There is the threat of a major invasion in Ghone-Re-Zhou, from Chipinda Pools right up to the North. Invaders will be marked with red flags to identify them as peggers and not poachers.
Buffalo Range - there are mass invasions taking place, with people in their thousands. These people have been led out of Chiredzi and the townships. There are people and fires everywhere in this area.
Save Conservancy - it is still very active in the Bedford block. On Matanderie Ranch, the MP for Bikita East was due to arrive yesterday to try resolve the land crisis in the Save Conservancy. Makori Ranch has tree cutting and building of shelters adjacent to a buffalo boma where buffalo
had just been brought in.
Matabeleland
Quiet.
Midlands
Lower Gweru - generally quiet. There has been a build up of 50 occupants on Worcestershire Farm, which seems to be peaceful.
Gweru East - quiet.
Lalapanzi South - movement of 20/25 people on to Ifafa Farm. They report the invaders are just sitting around, doing nothing.
Lalapanzi North - generally quiet. There are movements on and off neighbouring properties, with no aggression.
Mvuma - 8 invaders occupied Lovedale Farm. The police were called out and told them as this was not an identified farm, they should move off. The invaders are checking with their leaders to confirm. The clearing of land in the area continues on occupied farms. Police searched the makeshift shelters on Wildgrove and found evidence of poaching: snares, fish nets and some impala skins.
Shurugwe - unable to contact.
Somabhula - quiet.
Hunters Road South - quiet.
Hunters Road North - a meeting of war vets was held on Bon Accord today. The first the farmer knew of this is when people started arriving on their bicycles!
Kwekwe - during the last week there have been three invasions. Caberfeigh has been re-invaded, while Ben Three and Saltana are new. On Saltana, 60 occupiers arrived. This is felt to be in retaliation of a recent incident where the farm staff and neighbouring farm staff helped break a stock theft ring, with 12 people now on remand. It is believed the occupiers have also invaded the farmhouse. A report had been made earlier about the theft of weapons from guards in the rhino conservancy. The war vets connected with the incident have been identified but the police are reluctant to press charges.
Hello everyone again...
I would like to express my thanks to the security committee and dedicated volunteers of Karoi for all their support during my recent "incident" in Karoi. This is when one really benefits from and appreciates living in a small community. It is so good to know that if we all pull together we might just get over this seemingly never ending nightmare. To all the farmers out there countrywide, 'hang-in-there' as it is all our futures and livelihoods at stake here. How does one just simply let that go? Years/decades of hard work and planning up in smoke just like that... NO WAYS!
The response to my email was also tremendous with people from all over the world dropping me an "e" - sympathizing and generally giving me the support needed to be able to take the matter further. (Which both Mr Noel and I have done now.)
CHINS UP PEOPLE! DON'T GIVE UP! TOGETHER WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS.
Best regards
Pat Townsend
MDC to join Zimbabwe strike
Groups Support Strike in Zimbabwe
Security on farms
Judge orders inspection
Shamuyarira calls on invaders to leave farms
Mohadi says war vets have no power to allocate stands
Gokwe Zanu PF members jailed for violence
MDC to join Zimbabwe strike
BBC: Saturday, 29 July, 2000, 18:11 GMT 19:11 UK
Opposition calls for urgent action from the government
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called on its members to join a general strike next week to press the government to restore law and order in the country.
The three-day strike - which is due to begin on Wednesday - has been called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
The union says violence has continued, and intensified, following parliamentary elections last month.
Zimbabwe's white farmers have also said they will support the strike.
'Intensification of lawlessness'
The MDC said it was prepared to continue the strike until the government took action to control the violence in Zimbabwe.
"We have taken this position in the light of the intensification of lawlessness and anarchy in the country," the MDC Secretary-General Welshman Ncube said.
Mr Ncube said the MDC called on the government "as a matter of urgency to withdraw the war veterans from the farms, who are busy raping, beating and killing farm workers".
Farmers and unions say the violence did not end with the ruling party's narrow election victory. Some war veterans have refused government orders to quit the farms they occupied in May and June.
A Commercial Farmer's Union spokeswoman said that the country was close to "total anarchy".
As many as 30 people, many of them opposition supporters, are reported to have died in violence leading up to last month's election.
'Ill-advised strike'
The Zimbabwean Minister of State for Information, Jonathan Moyo, said on Friday that the planned work stoppage was "ill-advised".
He also denied that there was a problem with law and order in the county.
"Adequate security arrangements have been made wherever need has been demonstrated."
Correspondents say the strike call is likely to be widely observed in Zimbabwe's towns and cities, where discontent with the ruling party is profound, as shown by the government's poor showing in urban areas in last month's elections.
Groups Support Strike in Zimbabwe
The Associated Press - Jul 29 2000 9:46PM ET
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - A white farmers group in Zimbabwe and the main opposition party have thrown their support behind a three-day national strike beginning Wednesday to protest violence by government supporters.
Since February, more than 1,600 white-owned farms have been occupied by ruling party-backed militants in this southern African nation. Labor leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions called the strike to protest the government's lack of action against violence on white-owned farms.
The Commercial Farmers Union that represents white farmers and the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change said Saturday they would join with labor in the protest.
``All farming operations except essential tasks should be stopped for the three-day period,'' the farmers group said in a statement.
The group also said more farms were being invaded and new threats issued to owners to leave.
Timothy Henwood, president of the farmers group, said a delegation hoped to meet with President Robert Mugabe this weekend to discuss the land invasions. ``We asked to see him, and we were told he wants to see us,'' said Henwood.
Henwood said a Commercial Farmers Union delegation Saturday held talks with Mugabe's Central Intelligence Organization, accused in the past by government critics of coordinating and assisting rural violence.
Minority whites own about a third of the productive land in the country, and Mugabe has said land occupations are a justified demonstration against unfair land distribution.
Violence and intimidation by the farm squatters has disrupted production of food and cash crops across Zimbabwe, hurting the already ailing economy.
White farmers in several areas have been halting production over the past two weeks in protest at beatings and death threats from the militant Liberation War Veterans' Association, which is behind many of the occupations. The Commercial Farmers Union had until now distanced itself from the stoppages.
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said white farmers were manipulating labor leaders in a last-ditch attempt to stop Mugabe's plan to redistribute 12 million acres of white owned land to black Zimbabweans.
However, Moyo said, Mugabe's commitment to redistribute the land ``is irreversible.'
Security on farms
7/28/00 9:36:52 AM (GMT +2) - Staff Reporter: Daily News
THE security situation in most commercial farms has deteriorated during the past few days, to a level where total anarchy has become more widespread than at any other time since February.
The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) says farmers were now confused about the government's intentions on land redistribution. Yesterday, the Macheke Virginia Farmers Association decided to join the growing national protest against the government's reluctance to protect them from rowdy war veterans and Zanu PF supporters. "We continue to work with the Macheke police," said the farmers, "achieving mixed results because we believe that they are also under pressure from the war veterans, and are often powerless to react effectively. "Should, however, the police be unable to ensure our members' safety, we would have to seriously consider recommending a second evacuation of our district; since it would appear that law and order no longer prevail, and that there are no immediate prospects of its restoration." On Monday, David Brand of Gremlin Farm, Karoi, was beaten and left unconscious. He was rescued by a farmers' reaction unit and his wife and children have been evacuated. "Police have been extremely unhelpful," says the CFU, in a daily unrest report. Superintendent Godfrey Mabunda, the officer commanding Hurungwe, has been particularly singled out for his "very aggressive and hostile" behaviour towards the hapless and beleaguered farmers. The following is a summary of the CFU report: Centenary War veterans attempted to stop work at Chidikamwedzi and Mutuatua farms, and police negotiated with them to allow tobacco grading and the watering of seed beds to continue. Workers at Ashford farm had a confrontation with war veterans over land pegging. The owner managed to defuse the situation, but was then accused by the war veterans of instigating his workers to peg land. The war veterans have threatened to bring in support and the situation is very tense. The owners' wife has received a threatening phone call. Horseshoe War veterans are becoming increasingly restless and militant, but the police are keeping the situation stable. The owner of Penrose farm received a death threat and there was an attempted work stoppage on the farm, which was resolved by the police. Owners of Naini Tal, Duneverty and Makashwe all had attempted work stoppages which were successfully prevented by the police. There has been pegging on M'sonneddi and Chidziwa/Waddon Chase in Mvurwi and the situation is being monitored by the police. Tsatsi There was a large build up at "Mazita Base" on Monday afternoon. Four war veterans with a dozen supporters arrived at Dorking farm and told the owner to vacate within 24 hours. This group moved on to Zanadu farm and became aggressive when their demand for fuel was denied. The owner was threatened with eviction and the group stated they would return in numbers and take over the whole farm. They stated that they were communists, and not interested in the government's land acquisition, and they were going to take all farms. Concession police were notified, but said they had no transport and would not travel in the farmer's vehicle. They arrived two hours after the event. A large crowd assembled at Dandamera township awaiting transport to invade Falling Waters. There are 40 pegging Cranham and awaiting instructions. Glendale There was a visit to the labour housing on Harmony. Money changed hands between the invaders and farm workers over plots of land. Some 12 to 15 people arrived on Avonduur Farm wanting maps for Wolfhill and Leopard Vlei so they can peg. The war veterans are awaiting the return of the owner. A vehicle with unknown occupants arrived on Chabara farm. The farm owner is away so they left. Mukoko Farm has 20 war veterans. Mutepatepa The owner of Mountain View Farm was given a three-day eviction notice by the leader of the war vets. There is a build-up of numbers on Avoca farm and Lagnaha. On Brockley a very old leader of the war veterans was demanding to see the owner who is away. The supervisor on Munzi Farm was abducted by 10 war veterans and taken to Chenenga farm. Farm workers were extremely distressed, but he has since been returned unharmed. Mazowe/Concession - The owner of Sumerset/Riversdale Farm was visited at the weekend by invaders who wanted to occupy the homestead. They padlocked the security gate. The police were informed and they broke the lock. A farm worker from Raffeen farm was assaulted by war veterans at Panhowe Butchery. Shamva There has been no change on Woodlands A and Woodlands B. War veterans have not allowed the owner of Annandale to leave his home, but work is continuing. There was an attempted work stoppage on Sunray, which was resolved by police. Harare West/Nyabira There has been groups competing for pegging land on Stockade Farm. A large number of people were demanding yesterday morning that owner of Warick vacate the house. Police were informed but have not yet reacted. Victory Block War veteran Kangachepi and four others went to Mutendamambo and demanded the owner sign a book authorising the handing over of the farm. He refused and a verbal altercation ensued. The war veterans eventually left for the Msitwe River Ranch. A report was made to the Mvurwi police and they attended the scene. At Msitwe River Ranch, the five war veterans entered the farm village early evening and threatened the farm mechanic. Earlier on Monday farm invaders stopped workers from placing irrigation pegs. They told the workers to remove these pegs but workers refused and then continued work once the invaders had left. On Prangmere Farm five guards prevented thieves from entering the orchard to steal oranges. The owner reports hearing poachers with dogs at night along the Prangmere/Rusumbi boundary. On Birkdale Farm the workshop foreman reports seeing six poachers and 10 to 15 dogs on the farm. This was reported to Mvurwi police, who did not attend. Marondera South At Lendy Farm, war veterans demanded transport to collect youths from Marondera to peg the farm. The farmer refused. They returned on Sunday and told the manager to vacate his house by Monday afternoon or else they would burn the house, tractors and shed. On Wenimbe land preparation is still being prevented for the next tobacco crop due to huts being built in the land. The game fence on Esperance is being cut regularly and scotchcarts from the resettlement area are coming onto the farm to fetch firewood. War veteran Edward Msaka told the owner of Stow that he would return yesterday with the people that pegged the farm, with livestock to plough their fields and settle on the farm. Beatrice About 120 people arrived on Plumstead and waited for their leader. When he arrived he realised they were on the wrong farm and he told them to leave the farm. They became upset, started shouting, and the leader went to the police station. Some of the vehicles followed him and a meeting was held in the Member in Charge's office for a few hours. The outcome is still unknown. Harare South Trinket, Bramar, Donota, Tentelen and Cordor, which all run along the river, were pegged extensively as an extension of Chitungwiza and the farmers were told that the pegged stands were solely residential plots. Wedza Building and tree cutting continues on Hele, Makombe, Bickley, Chudley, Skoenveld and Anstey. The work stoppage on Rapako continues. Workers are becoming restless. (ZR Police) Support Unit was expected last week but did not arrive. When the owner sought assistance from the Wedza police he was refused a Report Record Book(RRB) number by a Sergeant Chiwarito because the RRB book was full. There was fish poaching on Fair Adventure, and occupiers making bricks in one of the paddocks continue to play havoc with the cattle. Hut building and tree cutting continues. There is an increase in numbers on Collace and huts are being built on Bendati. Bromley/Ruwa Whiteside was occupied. Extensive amounts of timber are being removed from Exelsior Farm by residents of Epworth. Chinhoyi - The owner of Kuti Farm was told to remove his cattle and vacate the farm this week. Threats were made and there were large numbers of invaders at the farm gate on Laurenton Farm. Some 11 sheep were stolen on Montgomery Farm and one on Blue Hills Farm. The owner of Shubara/Renfield has been told to remove the cattle. The owner of Ormiston was threatened with work stoppage and told to vacate the farm. The owner's wife on Fairplay was threatened. The owner of Kuti Estates received a letter in which he was told to remove cattle and leave. On Kupeta, irrigation pipes have been moved twice within a week. Police were, initially, extremely unhelpful but eventually acted. The owner of Collingwood was told to leave. There is extensive poaching on Vuka Farm. On Monday morning, the family was barricaded in the farm house but managed to escape using a back exit. Permanent structures are being built on Furzon, and pegging is taking place in the front garden on Buffalo Downs. Tengwe None of the Tengwe farms that have been illegally occupied are designated. Cattle have been driven off Dendanyani, Jaybury/Jambo, Silver Lining. War veterans at Mpata Farm now claim the land was theirs and, therefore, no tobacco can be planted. All of the above farms are controlled by a group led by Peter Ncube. Invaders are making bricks at Gwiwa, Inanda, Driftwood, Kukura, Glendene and Ian Penny farms. At the weekend, about 75 people gathered at Glen Craig. They had been to the workers compound and chased everyone out. The workers, including the women and children, spent the night in the bush. They were told not to go to work any more and were told to pack their belongings and leave the farm. This is the fourth time that this has happened to them. Norton A war veteran, Lovejoy, arrived on Fort Martin Farm with about 80 people from a neighbouring communal area whom he apparently paid. They pegged and told the owner that he was not allowed to ridge or plant tobacco. Lovejoy then visited Nyagori Farm. At Serui Source, war veterans from Harare were paying peggers $70 per day. Suri Suri A group of invaders led by Masiwa said they are taking over the Cambustrennie Farm. They do not care what President Mugabe says. They are selling plots. Masvingo East and Central There are 12 invaders at Beauly Farm. Pegging continues on Shallock Park and Vredenburg Farms. There was an escalation of numbers on Chidza. At Springfields, beef management has been disrupted, tree cutting and hut building continues. Chiredzi One of the managers on Malilangwe Ranch was threatened. The Fairange Estates game scout in the Harare hospital has been taken out of intensive care, and is paralysed in both legs and one arm. There is continued tree cutting and the building of structures on the ranch. Mwenezi There is continued pegging and tree cutting in the area, and fires being started on Lumbergia Ranch. Battlefields was occupied, with threats of escalating numbers. Meanwhile, Bromley farmers have decided to lobby commerce, industry and civil society to take national action, against lawlessness and to force the government to restore law and order. The farmers said commerce, industry and civil society would act through business shutdowns and stayaways. After a meeting of the 120-member Bromley Farmers' Association on Wednesday, the chairman, Mike Carter said that the farmers had resolved to ask the Commercial Farmers' Union to mobilise other pressure groups to support their case.
Judge orders inspection
7/28/00 9:37:31 AM (GMT +2) - Daily News Court Reporter
HIGH Court judge, Justice Yunus Omerjee, yesterday ordered the Registrar-General to open for inspection the sealed packets with counterfoils of used and spoilt ballot papers from each polling station delivered to the constituency registrar in Buhera North, sealed in terms of the Electoral Act.
This follows an application filed by Movement for Democratic Change president, Morgan Tsvangirai, contesting the result.
Shamuyarira calls on invaders to leave farms
7/28/00 9:32:49 AM (GMT +2) - Staff Reporter, AFP
THE Zanu PF spokesman, Nathan Shamuyarira on Wednesday called on war veterans and other party members occupying hundreds of commercial farms to stop disrupting farm operations.
Shamuyarira, speaking to Agence France Presse was quoted in the Johannesburg Star newspaper as saying: “We are appealing to both the war veterans and our members, who include war veterans and peasants, not to disrupt farming activities.”
His call was the first public condemnation of the war veterans' actions by Zanu PF which has openly supported the seizures of hundreds of commercial farms during the run-up to last month's elections, promising farms to landless black peasants.
The war veterans and ruling party supporters have occupied more than 1 600 farms since February.
Shamuyarira said he was concerned over the widespread shutdowns of commercial farms amid the ongoing violence and lawlessness.
He said: “We want the farmers to continue production and we are urging our followers and our members not to disrupt operations.”
Despite two High Court rulings that the occupations are illegal, the invaders have been allowed to stay on, and in many areas have begun issuing eviction orders and death threats to the farm owners or attacking them.
The conflict has sparked fears that food supplies will be disrupted, with unpredictable consequences to the country’s estimated 12 million people.
Mohadi says war vets have no power to allocate stands
7/28/00 9:34:10 AM (GMT +2) - Lloyd Mudiwa: Daily News
KEMBO Mohadi, the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and
National Housing, yesterday said his ministry was unaware what powers the war veterans were using to allocate residential stands, saying such powers were vested with the local authorities.
“Distribution of residential stands is the responsibility of the city councils because they have got that jurisdiction from the act that administers them,” said Mohadi.
“I don't know under what jurisdiction they are doing that. I don't know whether or not they are doing it with the blessing of council. I am not privy to what is going on in both the council and in the war veterans' association.”
He was speaking at the opening of the Harare City poverty alleviation workshop in the capital.
Chenjerai Hunzvi, the chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association, in a television interview on Wednesday, said the allocation of stands had the government's blessing and that the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing would provide the necessary infrastructure.
Joseph Chinotimba, a war veteran leader, on Tuesday said his distribution of land in the Mount Hampden Stud near Harare had been approved since he was a member of the Land Taskforce Committee.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony opening attended by several hundreds of homeseekers, Chinotimba said the stands would be serviced.
The commission running the City of Harare said this week that it would not recognise new residential areas being illegally established near the capital by the war veterans. But the war veterans have vowed to continue allocating plots to individuals.
A city council official yesterday said land redistribution should be co-ordinated by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National housing, the council and other stakeholders.
If not stopped immediately to enable the provision of road, water, sewerage and health services, there could be disease outbreaks in the new settlements, he warned.
Shingi Mushamba, the programme officer of the Municipal Development Programme, an association of local authorities in Africa, yesterday said while the invasions helped initiate land redistribution in the urban areas, which had been ignored by the government, he was opposed to the method being used.
The invasions, Mushamba said, would reduce the market value of the existing houses and those the war veterans were building.
War veterans have allocated stands to at least 1 000 people in the Mount Hampden since distribution started in May. They are allocating many more plots near the Harare International Airport, Warren Park Extension and near Norton.
They are levying $1 500 per stand in Mount Hampden, which includes survey fees and demarcation charges. Several houses are already at various levels of construction.
Gokwe Zanu PF members jailed for violence
7/28/00 9:36:11 AM (GMT +2) - Staff Reporter: Daily News
FOURTEEN Zanu PF supporters were on Monday each sentenced to one year in jail after a Gokwe magistrate convicted them of pre-election violence.
The 14, however, will now each serve six months in jail after six months were suspended by Magistrate Thomas Millitao.
The State's case was that on 22 June, the convicts held a Zanu PF rally at Karova Business Centre before proceeding to Karova Primary School.
They assaulted Mugove Masora, a teacher at the school, after accusing him of being a supporter of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
They then went back to Karova Business Centre, where they assaulted Lindiwe and Caroline Makuvaza, accusing them of being supporters of the MDC.
The fourteen are: Marvellous Dhobhani; Mutsvakiwa Tadzimirwa; Lazarus Hove; Shadreck Revesai; Munyaradzi Matutu; Edwin Masukume, Pepukai Togara; Verdin Sai; Hlanganiso Dhlamini; Morgan Kupowa; Muzondiwa Sibanda; Levison Gwisai; Nervious Njobo and Abson Machokoto.
Meanwhile, a war veteran, Alex Dube facing two charges of kidnapping and murder had his case further remanded to 9 August by the same magistrate.
Dube, in custody, is alleged to have teamed up with Joseph Mudyiwa, Joseph Kwangwari and Emmanuel Havadi on 18 June and travelled from Mutora Growth Point to Siamuchembo Two Business Centre targeting supporters of the MDC and attacking them.
They are alleged to have manhandled a businessman and an MDC supporter only identified as Manhango at Siamuchembo Business Centre.
The businessman died on 22 June at the Gokwe General Hospital.
WIRE:07/30/2000 16:47:00 ET
Zimbabwe to Acquire 3,000 Farms for Resettlement
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe"s government plans to acquire 3,000 farms immediately for the resettlement of thousands of people, state television said on Sunday. President Robert Mugabe"s government had previously said it had earmarked about 800 white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks under a controversial resettlement program that has fanned political and economic crisis. "Government has decided to immediately acquire 3,000 farms to resettle thousands of people. The decision was taken at a meeting of government ministers responsible for land acquisition today," ZTV television said. The decision came a day after Zimbabwe"s white farmers said they would join a national strike this week to put pressure on Mugabe to end violence against opposition supporters and the occupation of farms by self-styled independence war veterans. The television said that the government would use the army to provide transport and other logistical support for the resettlement program. It gave no further details. "We have also just heard it on the news and we are not commenting until we get details. We had a meeting already on schedule with the government tomorrow, and we will probably get details then," said a spokesman for the Commercial Farmers" Union, representing 4,500 mainly white farmers. Mugabe, 75 and in power for 20 years, faces the strongest challenge yet to his authority this week when farmers, labor unions and the main opposition party join forces in a three-day strike from Wednesday.
LAND REDISTRIBUTION TO ACCELERATE
Three cabinet ministers speaking on ZTV said the government would be pushing hard this week on the land redistribution program. They did not say whether the government would be moving the war veterans from the farms they occupy. "The resettlement program is going to be accelerated, and many people are going to be resettled in this week," said Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo.
Thousands of self-styled veterans of the former Rhodesia"s 1970s liberation war invaded about a 1,000 white-owned farms in the runup to last month"s general election, saying they were reclaiming land stolen from blacks under British colonial rule.
Mugabe says the government wants to seize at least five million hectares of the 12 million hectares occupied by white farmers and will pay compensation only for improvements to the land, unless Britain helps with redistribution.
Britain says it is prepared to fund only a scheme that is fair, transparent and aimed at alleviating rural poverty. It says land reform has been abused to benefit Mugabe"s cronies.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has called for a three-day general strike from Wednesday, a decision which has since been endorsed by the CFU and the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
At least 31 people, mostly members of the MDC, and five white farmers, were killed in violence ahead of the June 24-25 parliamentary elections. The ruling ZANU-PF party won 62 seats against the MDC"s unprecedented 57 out of 120 available seats in the biggest electoral success for Mugabe"s opponents since independence.