Zimbabwe 'regrets' war vets' evictions

War veterans have occupied over 1,000 farms since February

The Zimbabwean Government has expressed its regrets over the eviction of squatters who were illegally occupying white-owned farmland.

On Tuesday, Zimbabwean police for the first time removed more than 700 squatters illegally occupying white farms south of the capital, Harare, and burnt their makeshift dwellings.

More than 1,500 farms have been invaded since President Robert Mugabe announced his policy of redistributing land from whites to blacks.

Government spokesman Jonathan Moyo said the government regretted the police action, and accepted responsibility for it - hinting at the possibility of compensation for those who were evicted.

President Robert Mugabe, who has supported the land invasions, was out of the country when the evictions took place.

The government's statement of regret follows a cabinet meeting which took place on the president's return.

No change in policy

Mr Moyo said the police were not acting on government orders - dashing speculation that the government's policy towards the land invasions might be changing.

Police sources earlier said they had been instructed to take a harder line against land invasions.

President Mugabe has twice overruled orders to evict squatters

At least 150 angry self-styled war veterans have protested outside President Robert Mugabe's offices at their forcible eviction from white owned farmland.

The protestors called for the resignation of Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo, and chased away journalists who approached them.

Police have previously ignored several court orders to evict the squatters.

Two orders by senior ministers for occupiers to vacate private land were later revoked by President Mugabe.

On Monday, about 100 squatters were driven off a farm near Chitungwiza, a township 25km south of Harare.

A fortnight ago, a group of schoolchildren were abducted and allegedly sexually abused at the farm.

Whites own one third of Zimbabwe's prime land

But police deny any link between the abductions and the evictions.

The evictions continued on Tuesday as police and council workers began demolishing several homes in the western suburb of Kambuza.

Official list

In recent weeks, President Mugabe has come under increasing pressure to restore law and order in farming districts, which are the backbone of Zimbabwe's economy.

Mr Mugabe says that war veterans will only be allowed to remain on those farms acquired by the government, ending the uncertainty in the rest of the agricultural sector.

The government announced this month it would confiscate 3,000 white owned properties without paying compensation and hand them over to landless blacks.

About 4,000 whites own one third of the nation's prime land and employ nearly two million black workers.