Veterans reject Zimbabwe deal

So long as these injustices against the indigenous people of this country are not rectified, our peaceful demonstrations in the farmlands will continue
Zimbabwe war veterans

Southern African leaders are resuming efforts in Harare to find a solution to Zimbabwe's land crisis, in the face of warnings that illegal farm occupations will continue.

Representatives of Zimbabwe's war veterans told the regional leaders on Monday that they did not feel bound by a Commonwealth brokered agreement reached in Nigeria last week.

Under that deal, the Zimbabwean Government agreed to stop attacks by the veterans on white-owned farms in return for financial assistance from the UK to implement a fair land reform programme.

But the veterans said they would not abide by a programme whose "pace is controlled by the pace at which funds will trickle in from the British". Regional anger

Reports from Harare say that Malawi's President Bakili Maluzi was visibly angered by the defiance of the veterans.

Mr Maluzi is chairing the meeting which brings together leaders and representatives of the Southern African Development Council (Sadc).

But the veterans were forthright in their demands: "So long as these injustices against the indigenous people of this country are not rectified, our peaceful demonstrations in the farmlands will continue," the veterans told the Sadc leaders.

Since the Zimbabwe agreement, there have been reports of more violence on white-owned farms in northern Zimbabwe, with the Commercial Farmers Union speaking of a big increase in land invasions.

Analysts say President Robert Mugabe will have to decide whether to try to restrain the war veterans, given that his regional neighbours are now placing much heavier pressure on him to restore stability to the country.

Malawi's President Maluzi said that if Zimbabwe's land crisis was not resolved urgently in an amicable and peaceful manner, then the political and economic problems could easily snowball across the entire region.

That, he said, would lead to foreign investors turning their backs on Sadc states.

The BBC's southern Africa correspondent, Rageh Omaar, says it is now clear that major African nations are not only urging the Zimbabwean Government to do everything to end the crisis, but are also prepared to break ranks openly with Harare.

He says Zimbabwe cannot afford to be totally isolated and publicly at odds with African powers like South Africa and Nigeria, as well as other neighbours. Hundreds of farms have been seized by self-styled war veterans since February in protest at the fact that - 20 years after independence - the vast majority of the productive land in the country is still owned by a small number of white ranchers.

Mr Mugabe has accepted the land ownership plan in principle, but says the deal will have to be approved by the cabinet and his ruling Zanu-PF party.

In a new blow to President Mugabe, the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, was on Monday declared winner of the mayoral election in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo.

Background, news and analysis The Abuja deal Text of agreement Peace or hot air? Pressure on Mugabe The land question Four year crisis Country in crisis Economic meltdown Sick go untreated Food shortages loom Sun sets on tourism Judges under fire BBC man expelled Across the border SA land frustrations Profiles Robert Mugabe Morgan Tsvangirai Jonathan Moyo Simba Makoni INTERACTIVE GUIDE The battle for land FORUM The BBC's John Simpson Morgan Tsvangirai AUDIO VIDEO BBC news coverage of the current crisis TALKING POINT Abuja deal: Will it work? White farmers: Too much media attention? See also: 10 Sep 01 | Africa Does South Africa hold the key? 08 Sep 01 | Africa Zimbabwe militants seize white farm 08 Sep 01 | Africa SA land reform frustration builds 21 Aug 01 | Africa Namibia's black farmers urge land reform 07 Sep 01 | Business Zimbabwe's economic crisis 07 Sep 01 | Africa Text of Zimbabwe agreement 15 Aug 01 | Africa Zimbabwe - Troubled past - uncertain future 25 Aug 01 | From Our Own Correspondent Gauging opinion in troubled Zimbabwe Internet links: Commercial Farmers' Union Zimbabwe government SADC The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Africa stories now: Veterans reject Zimbabwe deal Calm returns to Nigerian city King's historic visit to Mauritania Libya 'to buy all Caribbean bananas' Senegal's Carmen controversy Congo shell found on hospital roof Poor care 'killing babies' Mali helicopter crash kills eight

Dislexia's really bad today.

Just ignore all that bumph at the end of the article.

Lousy housecleaning on my part.

Well the MDC was decflared the winner in an election. Will they ever take office and exercise power as long as Mugabe is in power? The answer is probably negative. The "vetrans" are Mugabe's means to delay the deal going into effect so that a fait accompli allowing him to retain power can be finished before he starts recieving funds from Britain and other nations.

Stay well - Yorktown

Ho, Hum. This is getting tiresome. It's time for Atlas to shrug and the rest of the whites to leave. I've been very sympathetic to the Rhodesians ever since UDI, and a long time fan of Ian Smith, but now it's time to go. I'm willing now to have the UK and US provide the airlift and the security to get every white (and every coloured who wants to go) out to the UK or the US. But, now, while we really won't have to fight their way out. Soon, their tenacity will be stupidity, and I'm not willing for the UK and US to take signficant casualties so that people can stay a few weeks or months longer.

Let's get the evacuation going -- and a full Russian quality scorched earth program (as demonstrated for Messrs. Bonaparte and Hitler) implemented on the way out. The country should be left in the condition Cecil Rhodes found it: absolutely devoid of anything civilized or technological beyond the stone age.

I usually do put the quotation marks aroung "veterans" in my own comments.

But I don't like to monkey around with Auntie's headlines.

Or anyone else's for that matter.

The Second Chimurenga ended 20 years ago. Most of these "veterans" are in their early 20s.

These "veterans" are Mubage's SturmAbteilung. Thugs having been given a trumped up "cause" as an excuse for thuggery.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.