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White farmer's trial adjourned
31/10/2007 12:42 - (SA)
Chegutu - A Zimbabwean court on Wednesday adjourned the trial of the first white farmer to be charged with defying a government eviction order under the country's controversial land reforms.
Magistrate Winfielda Tiatara rescheduled the trial of John Norman Eastwood until December 17 at a hearing in the town of Chegutu after being told by prosecutors that it had not been handed vital paperwork.
Prosecutor Allan Chifokoyo said: "The trial cannot kick off because the lands office did not supply the state prosecution with the necessary papers requested by the defence counsel."
Eastwood's lawyer David Drury wanted the state to justify why his client's Harmony Farm in Chegutu, 100km northwest of Harare was targeted for expropriation.
4 000 farmers forced to give up land
The lawyer also demanded the identity of government officials on the committee, which earmarked the farm for seizure, the list of criteria used to select the farm, and the minutes of the meeting, where the decision to take over the property was made.
Eastwood was to become the first of scores of white farmers to be tried across Zimbabwe for remaining on their properties after a September ultimatum to vacate and make way for black farmers under government land reforms.
Earlier this month, Eastwood and 10 more of Zimbabwe's last white farmers lost a bid to stay on their farms while appealing the eviction orders at the supreme court.
At least 4 000 farmers were forced to hand over their land in what was championed as a programme to right the injustices of the colonial era. Many of the farms ended up in the hands of supporters of President Robert Mugabe.
Less than 400 white farmers were still believed to be operating in Zimbabwe as resulted of the programme, which had been blamed for previously unheard of food shortages.
- AFP
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