Mugabe tells squatters to stay put

War veterans refuse to budge from an occupied farm

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has condoned the illegal occupation of white-owned farms by thousands of the country's war veterans, who are demanding to be resettled.

"We want the whites to learn that the land belongs to Zimbabweans," Mr Mugabe said, according to the state-controlled Herald newspaper.

He also said police would not evict the squatters - veterans of the liberation struggle and government supporters - if they were peaceful.

President Mugabe: 'The land belongs to Zimbabweans'

Mr Mugabe said previous differences had been resolved between him and the Home Affairs Minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, who had ordered an end to the invasions.

The Zimbabwean Government has been heavily criticised for failing to halt the occupation of hundreds of farms in recent weeks. The protesters are claiming rights to land farmed by the descendants of British settlers.

The occupations followed the government's defeat in last month's constitutional referendum, which would have paved the way for the seizure without compensation of many farms.

Correspondents say the government is hoping to use the issue as a way of rallying support ahead of next month's general elections.

But a survey of nearly 2,000 Zimbabweans by the South African-based Helen Suzman Foundation found that 74% blamed the government for the failure to resolve the land question during 20 years of independence.

'Total anarchy'

The UK has rejected Zimbabwean demands to pay for the redistribution of large tracts of fertile land from white commercial farmers to poor blacks.

Land distribution has long been a divisive issue

About 4,000 white farmers own one-third of the productive land in the nation of 12.5 million people. Although some inherited their farms, many bought land after the country won independence from Britain in 1980.

The Commercial Farmers' Union, representing the farmers, described the situation as "total anarchy".

A spokesman told South African radio that several women and children had to flee from farms as some of the occupiers were armed with AK-47 rifles.

Zimbabwe's economy has been going through a severe crisis, with crippling fuel shortages, inflation and unemployment at record levels.