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War vets evict 60+ Zim farmers
08/04/2008 14:57 - (SA)
Harare - More than 60 mostly white
Zimbabwean farmers have been evicted from their land by war
veterans loyal to President Robert Mugabe since the weekend, a
farmers' union said on Tuesday.
"The situation is very severe. The evictions are continuing
right round the country. "We have over 60 farmers evicted as of
this morning. "Every couple of minutes my phone is ringing with
another case of eviction," Commercial Farmers' Union President
Trevor Gifford told Reuters.
The veterans have been used as political shock troops by
President Robert Mugabe.
One black farmer 'also evicted'
The opposition MDC argued in the High Court on Tuesday that
the results of the presidential election on March 29 should be
released immediately to end a 10-day political stalemate.
Gifford said farmers were forced to leave with only the
clothes they were wearing and at least one black farmer was
evicted as well.
"His workers' houses have all been burnt and he's been
accused of voting for the opposition MDC," Gifford said.
The veterans said last week they would invade all remaining
white-owned farms after reports that white farmers were
preparing to grab back farms seized under Mugabe's land reforms.
The veterans led a wave of violent occupations of white
farms as part of reforms that began in 2000. Mugabe's critics
say the reforms played a big part in ruining the economy. He
blames Western sanctions for the economic damage.
Zimbabwean police were not immediately available for
comment.
- Reuters
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Zimbabwe Special Report
