Posted on 12/05/2001 12:08:25 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe's top court has declared the government's plan to seize white-owned farms legal, overturning its own previous ruling that the seizures were unconstitutional.
In a judgment released Tuesday, four of the five Supreme Court justices appointed to hear the new seizure case said they were satisfied the government's "fast track" land nationalization program was lawful and "sufficiently complied" with the constitution.
Last year's Supreme Court ruling declared the government's methods of land seizures illegal and in breach of constitutional ownership rights and government land laws.
Some of the judges who made that ruling have been replaced in recent months.
Four of the five judges hearing the new case, including Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, were appointed recently by President Robert Mugabe. Those four voted to uphold the government's land seizure program.
The Supreme Court traditionally had only five judges until Mugabe expanded the bench to eight in July, adding three judges considered loyal to the ruling party. The chief justice usually appoints small panels of judges to hear each case.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has described the court's expansion as a political ploy designed to turn the court into a government puppet.
Armed ruling party militants have occupied more than 1,700 white-owned farms since March 2000, demanding they be redistributed to landless blacks. The government has listed some 4,500 properties -- about 95 percent of farm land owned by whites -- for nationalization without compensation and last month warned about 800 farmers they had three months to vacate their land and homes.
Monday's court ruling rejected white farmers' assertions that the land seizures were taking place amid violence and a breakdown of law and order in farming districts.
It said the government had met the previous court's order to prove it had restored law and order and a sustainable land reform program in those districts.
Though it was not disputed that clashes took place on farms, "by definition, the concept of rule of law foresees a situation in which behavior prescribed as criminal will occur. The presence of the rule of law does not mean a totally crime free environment," the court said.
Adrian de Bourbon, the lawyer for the Commercial Farmers Union, had asked Chidyausiku and two other new appointees to recuse themselves from the hearing, alleging they had shown open allegiance to the ruling party and its land seizures.
None of the judges stepped down.
Monday's ruling described de Bourbon's request as "unbridled arrogance and insolence."
"This is the first and last time such contempt of this court will go unpunished," it said.
A spokesman for the union said farmers were surprised and disappointed by the decision.
"The ruling does not seem to be based on the strict application of the law or the rules of natural justice, but on a political argument," the spokesman said.
"We are obviously surprised and shocked by this because this is the highest court. But we hope the government will still find the wisdom to be reasonable," he said.
Judges have been under mounting pressure from the government and ruling party militants. Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay was forced out after the government warned him and other judges they would not be protected from ruling party militants, who stormed the Supreme Court last December.
That is both the ethical core and psychological heart of what it means to be a part of the left. That is where the gratification comes from. To see yourself as a social redeemer. To feel anointed. In other words: To be progressive is itself the most satisfying narcissism.
That is why it is of little concern to them that their socialist schemes have run aground, burying millions of human beings in their wake. That is why they don't care that their panaceas have caused more human suffering than all the injustices they have ever challenged. That is why they never learn from their "mistakes." That is why the continuance of Them is more important than any truth.
If you were active in the so-called "peace" movement or in the radical wing of the civil rights causes, why would you tell the truth? Why would you tell people that no, you weren't really a "peace activist," except in the sense that you were against America's war. Why would you draw attention to the fact that while you called yourselves "peace activists," you didn't oppose the Communists' war, and were gratified when America's enemies won?
What you were really against was not war at all, but American "imperialism" and American capitalism. What you truly hated was America's democracy, which you knew to be a "sham" because it was controlled by money in the end. That's why you wanted to "Bring the Troops Home," as your slogan said. Because if America's troops came home, America would lose and the Communists would win. And the progressive future would be one step closer. [End Excerpt]
President Robert Mugabe, facing the toughest electoral challenge in his 22 years of power, is looking to his neighbors for support in the row with the EU and travels to Mozambique on Sunday for talks on the March 9-10 election.
Foreign ministers of the EU, which has threatened to impose sanctions on Mugabe if its monitoring mission is hampered, will discuss Zimbabwe when they meet in Brussels on Monday.
Despite the warnings, Zimbabwe expelled Swedish diplomat Pierre Schori late on Saturday after he started his political work after entering the country on a tourist visa. [End Excerpt]<
I just got my copy of "Vita's Other World."
I scanned it yesterday afternoon and can see it will be a pleasure to read.
Thank you so very much for your recommendation. It's my kind of book.
I plan to work (play) in the garden today, if the sun would just hurry and come up!
This is mostly about morals and common sense with drug use.
Morally we know use of illegal drugs are evil and sinful. Common sense tells you to stay away from dangerous substances.
If you lack conventional morals or common sense, it is not my fault.
If you despise the electorate, that isn't their fault at all.
As long as you don't become the next UNIBOMBER during your disgust the people, knock yourself out!
Check out Zimbabwe, people. A few more leftward moves by our current "conservative" administration, and we could be facing what the white Rhodesians are facing now, except we won't have a US to flee to.
Mugabe's terror mobs turn on rural voters--[Excerpt] During any normal election campaign, a constituency MP like Mr Sibanda would be free to canvass his voters, but not in Zimbabwe. Instead he has had his life threatened by Zanu-PF thugs hell-bent on stealing the election.
Mr Sibanda has been on the run for six weeks since a mob came calling for him at his homestead in Tsholotsho. He moves from safe house to safe house in the townships on the western edge of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city.
"All he was trying to do was his job," Mr Sibanda said of Mr Sibindi. "If sanity prevailed, no elections would be run under conditions like this."
At his side was a cousin, Alec Tshuma. He has been wearing the same clothes for three weeks since a mob seized him at his home and drove him out into the bush for "re-education". He escaped by asking to stop for a pee and fleeing.[End Excerpt]
It would appear that we have similar reading and gardening tastes. hehehehehe
I know, and no one, that I can see, is doing anything to stop it.
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