Zimbabwean farmers vow to sit tight

SAPA-AFP via NEWS24 (SA) ^ | June 24, 2002

[Clive]

Harare - Violence is anticipated in Zimbabwe as some of the 2,900 white farmers, who were told to stop farming on Monday, ignored the deadline and continued going about their business.

Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) spokesperson Jenni Williams on Monday said: "There are fears of violence. We do anticipate there will be violence and we hope it will be curtailed."

Some 2,900 white-owned farms in Zimbabwe have been ordered to cease operating on Monday after a controversial land reform law was amended to give the government sweeping powers to seize farmland for redistribution, Williams said.

On May 10 the government amended the Land Acquisition Act to order farmers whose property has been earmarked for acquisition to stop farming 45 days after a notice of acquisition has been issued and vacate their property within 90 days.

For farmers who had been issued with government notices to take over their property before the law was changed, the 45-day notice period to stop farming came into effect from the day the law was passed.

But many of the affected farmers ignored the deadline.

"A lot ... are just going to stay as they cannot stop farming in 45 days. We will have to stand our ground and see what happens," Williams said.

The affected farmers, according to CFU, represent about 60% of the white farmers who held some 4 800 title deeds before the controversial land reforms turned violent two years ago, as government supporters calling themselves war veterans began occupying white farms and demanded that they be redistributed to landless blacks.

Land minister Joseph Made was quoted on state radio at the weekend as saying the number of farmers affected was much less than the CFU claimed, but would not specify the numbers.

Farmers who ignore the deadline will be liable to two years in jail, or a Z$20 000 (US$364) fine, or both.

Some tobacco farmers who had made a special application to the government to continue farming until the end of next season, early next year, had their request turned down, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.

The CFU spokesperson said on Friday that, in addition to farmers who have to stop operations, an estimated 232 000 farm workers would also have to stop working on Monday in line with the amended law. - Sapa-AFP

[Clive]

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[backhoe]

"Pity about Africa Rhodesia..."

[MadRobotArtist]

We should be importing arms, tanks, planes and every other conceivable armament to these farmers, in order to wipe Mugabe off the face of the earth. Yes, That's right, I said it. Wipe him, and all of his minions off the face of the earth, in order to let Freedom live on. Communism is death. Let the farmers keep their land, and let Mugabe and his bunch die. That is the only way to ensure a free Zimbabwe.

[happygrl]

Thanks Clive.

Received, but no comment.

It's all been said before.

[Travis McGee]

Berlin 1936: "Jewish Shopowners Vow to Sit Tight."