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Saturday, 4 March, 2000, 13:26 GMT
Farm invaders claim Mugabe's support
![]() Some farmers say they have been under seige for days
The man spearheading a campaign to occupy white-owned farms in Zimbabwe has said the strategy has the full support of President Robert Mugabe.
Hundreds of veterans from Zimbabwe's fight for independence in the 1970s have joined the occupations in support of land re-distribution. Chenjerai Hunzvi, leader of the War Veterans Association, said they had presidential support - apparently contradicting a statement by Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwar which called for an end to the occupation of white-owned farms. Speaking at a rally in the capital, Harare Mr Hunzvi also warned the former guerrilla fighters that they may have to use force. President Mugabe has said - after his home minister's statement - that nobody occupying the large commercial farms would be moved off the land. Referendum blow More than 140 white-owned farms have been occupied since the government was defeated in a referendum on a new constitution last month. Had the government won the referendum it would have been allowed to change the constitution and the rules governing land re-distribution. Since the referendum Mr Mugabe has said the government plans to press ahead with plans to re-distribute without compensation white-owned farms to black farmers. It has begun the process of amending the current constitution to allow for land acquisition without compensation and because of the government's domination of parliament the measures are certain to be approved. Spears and axes There are reports that those taking part in the invasion have become more threatening, stopping cars and trying to intimidate passengers. Some of the farms which have been invaded have had fences and power lines cut by hundreds of protesters wielding spears and axes. The Commercial Farmers' Union , which represents almost 4,000 large-scale, mainly white landowners, says the number of farms occupied has doubled since Thursday. |
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