Posted on 12/31/2003 5:38:19 PM PST by blam
Mugabe loyalists 'forced off seized farms'
By Peta Thornycroft in Harare
(Filed: 01/01/2004)
The Zimbabwe government claimed yesterday it had recovered 500,000 acres of farmland from ruling party loyalists who seized more than two or more white-owned farms.
The few white commercial farmers left on their properties scattered around the country said they saw no evidence that those involved - cabinet ministers, judges, bank managers, senior army personnel and other leaders - had abandoned any of the farms they took.
"Most of them do not live on the land anyway and are careful to cover up what they have taken, but we don't know any who have handed back land," said Mac Crawford, who heads an association of ranchers in the southern Matabeleland province.
Even if the land is recovered, it will not be returned to its white owners, who still have the title deeds. Instead it will be handed over to those who missed out on getting a piece of land in the first round of seizures.
When President Robert Mugabe sent loyalists to evict white farmers after he lost a referendum in February 2000, he told Zimbabweans that the future agricultural policy would be based on the principle of "one man, one farm".
His policy excluded about 4,000 white farmers, most of whom owned only one farm.
Last year, with commercial agriculture in ruins, Mr Mugabe set up a task force to identify who had grabbed more than one property among more than 6,000 seized from white farmers.
A report was presented to him in November, although details have not been released to the public, and it is not clear whether investigations into multiple land grabs named his wife, Grace, and sister Sabina.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.
One man, one farm, hummm? Does this mean his wife, sister and other female relatives will have to cough up the multiple number of prime farms they were each given?
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