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Monday, 20 March, 2000, 17:19 GMT
Police delay over Zimbabwe farms
Stand-off at a farm
About 15% of all commerical farms have been occupied
Zimbabwe police say they have not yet received orders to evict thousands of government supporters who continue to defy a court order to leave white-owned farms.

The squatters, who have occupied more than 600 farms in the past month, say they will resist any attempts to evict them.

Police spokesman Inspector Bothwell Mugariri said the force would only move against the squatters when they received an order from the court indicating which farms had been affected.


War veteran Chenjerai Hunzvi:
War veteran leader Chenjerai Hunzvi: Leading more farm invasions
"Once we have received the order we are prepared to act," Inspector Mugariri told Reuters news agency.

A court order issued on Friday gave the war veterans and their colleagues 24 hours to quit, but in the three days since they were ordered to vacate all the occupied farms several more farms have been invaded.

The war veterans' leader, Chenjerai Hunzvi, told farm invaders in the south of the country that they should never be persuaded to leave.

He was backed by another of the movement's spokesman, Andrew Ndlovu, who declared "law is law, and politics is politics".

Officials neutral

For their part, government ministers say they respect the court ruling, but they have said little publicly to encourage the war veterans to comply with it.

The home affairs minister said he had absolutely nothing to do with the matter, insisting it was now up to the judiciary to resolve.

Our correspondent says the situation is in a state of paralysis, with everyone waiting for a clear statement from the only man with real power in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe.

In the absence of such a move the threat of violence increases.

In what was probably the most serious incident of its kind since the invasions began last month, a white farmer was attacked in his home on Sunday night by a group of war veterans armed with spears, axes and clubs.

He has left hospital after being treated for head injuries.

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13 Mar 00 | Africa
In pictures: Zimbabwe in crisis
10 Mar 00 | Africa
Why Zimbabwe distrusts the UK
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