Zimbabwe’s government on Tuesday urged black settlers to move onto white-owned farms despite the mounting number of court cases over President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reforms.
Police said 207 white farmers have been arrested since Thursday, in a crackdown on people who defied eviction orders to leave their homes and clear the way for black settlers.
Government had ordered 2 900 white farmers to leave their homes by August 8, but about 60% of the farmers ignored the demand.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told state media that settlers should move onto the farms, even though court cases for the arrested white farmers and other cases challenging the land reforms may not be completed for months.
”Those who have been allocated land should move to the farms and utilise it,” he said.
The farm lobby Justice for Agriculture said it was still gathering information on how many farmers had been formally charged in court and what their bail conditions were.
Police representative Wayne Bvudzijena said most of the arrested farmers had appeared in court, but could not provide details.
Supporters of Mugabe’s ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party and veterans began occupying white farms in 2000, sparking an international outcry.
That campaign has been heavily tied to political violence targeting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which Mugabe claims is funded by whites.
At least 59 people have been killed in political violence since the start of the year, while thousands more have suffered torture, rape and intimidation, according to rights groups.
The United States on Monday renewed its criticism of Mugabe, calling his scheme an ”ill-considered” and ”senseless” eviction campaign as Zimbabweans faced the possibility of massive famine.
”We’re certainly appalled … that at a time when six to eight million Zimbabweans are facing the real possibility of famine that the Mugabe government continues its senseless campaign to evict commercial farmers and farm workers,” State Department representative Philip Reeker said.
”The United States once again calls upon Zimbabwe to halt its pursuit of unchallenged power, restore the rule of law and cease abusing the human rights of its citizenry,” he told reporters.
In neighbouring Mozambique, the main opposition leader also criticised Mugabe, saying the land reforms were aimed at satisfying his ”aspirations to hold on to power.”
”You do not need to embark on land reforms which bring the country to its knees,” Afonso Dhlakama said. ”Mugabe is punishing his own people with these reforms.” – Sapa-AFP