ZIMBABWE’S army has been deployed in the western Matabeleland province to forestall violent protests by villages angered by the slow pace of land redistribution. The Daily News reported that tension has been rising over the re-allocation of land from several farms acquired by government from whites to resettle landless blacks. More than 1000 villagers have signed a petition addressed to Lands Minister Kumbirai Kangai complaining about lack of transparency in the allocation of land. The villagers, who charge that most of the 45 farms acquired recently were being grabbed by top government and ruling ZANU-PF officials while the peasants were being sidelined, have threatened to invade the farms.
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