Two Zim farmers beaten up
2002-01-05 22:49
Harare - Two white Zimbabwean farmers were abducted and beaten up by militant war veterans in ongoing farm violence ahead of a crunch presidential poll, the main farming union has reported.
The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) said in its latest report
that around 40 Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front
(Zanu-PF) supporters, armed with iron bars, abducted the two
farmers from Ardului farm, in Chegutu, some 90km southwest of Harare.
The attack took place on New Year's Eve.
The farmers were "subsequently assaulted with fists, resulting
in one of them losing hearing in one ear," said the report.
Violence on white-owned farms has been on the increase in the
former British colony since President Robert Mugabe's supporters,
including liberation war veterans, launched a campaign of land
invasions nearly two years ago.
Mugabe faces his strongest challenge yet from opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in presidential polls scheduled for March. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA