White farmers bail ruling delayed again

At least 30 farms have been looted in recent days

The High Court in Zimbabwe has again postponed its decision on a bail application by 21 white farmers detained after they clashed with black land-invaders.

The farmers, who were charged with beating up government supporters who invaded a white-owned farm in the northern region of Chinhoyi, have spent the past 12 days in prison.

Farmers' relatives had been hoping for early release

Judge Rita Makarau told the court that she needed more time to consider her judgement, which would now be delivered on Monday at 1000 (0800 GMT).

Defence lawyers have argued that the state failed to prove the men were likely to abscond or interfere with police investigations.

Correspondents say the men are being subjected to a harsh prison regime. They have been shown on television in chains and police who allowed blankets and food to reach their cells have been disciplined.

White farmers in the Chinhoyi area say violence by a group of up to 250 militants has now eased and the authorities say that large numbers of police have been deployed to restore calm.

Press clampdown

On Thursday, new charges were filed against four journalists from The Daily News, the country's only independent daily newspaper, after an earlier case against them had been dropped the previous day.

Lawyers for the four said the journalists had now been charged with publishing subversive material.

Nyarota: Charged with subversion

The paper had carried a report alleging that police vehicles had been used in the recent looting of farms in Chinhoyi.

Geoff Nyarota, the paper's editor-in-chief, and three colleagues were briefly detained on Wednesday, but were released after the High Court declared that the law under which they were charged was out of date.

Daily News lawyers said the journalists had now been charged under a different section of the Law and Order Maintenance Act, but had been promised that they would not be detained again.

Punishment

A BBC Correspondent in the region says that the Zimbabwean Government has given every indication that it would like to see the detained farmers vigorously punished.

But our correspondent says that the Zimbabwean judiciary has proven itself independent and fair, despite intense political pressure.

At least 30 homesteads have been looted, and white families have been evacuated from about 100 farms in the Chinhoyi area over the last 10 days.

The farmers deny starting clashes with black so-called war veterans on 6 August, saying they were attacked when they went to help a neighbour threatened by the militants.

The Daily News front page on Tuesday described the use of police vehicles as "well orchestrated acts of lawlessness" on the farms.

Before his detention, the paper's assistant editor Bill Saidi said the story was based on eyewitness accounts by the white farmers. He said the police had refused the opportunity to comment on the report before they went to press.

The newspaper's owners have vowed to continue publishing.

The government views the Daily News, which has linked members of the government to corruption, as an opposition mouthpiece. The newspaper says it is independent.

The Daily News printing press was bombed in January and in April Mr Nyarota and two of his colleagues were charged with defaming President Robert Mugabe.