In a message dated 4/30/00 1:23:52 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: << Subj: Violence Reported on Zimbabwe Farms Date: 4/30/00 1:23:52 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Violence Reported on Zimbabwe Farms .c The Associated Press By SUSANNA LOOF HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - In a rare intervention, police arrested the leader of a group of squatters after they beat up workers on a white-owned farm, officials said Sunday, but squatters staged other attacks elsewhere. In a sign the often violent takeovers of 1,000 white-owned farms might ease, a national leader of the squatters said he would travel around the country to cool the standoff and ensure that planting could begin within three days. The leader, Chenjerai Hunzvi - who heads a group of independence war veterans who have spearheaded the farm occupations - and the Commercial Farmers Union announced Friday they had reached an agreement that would stop violence and allow farming to continue. Farmer representatives said Hunzvi should spread the word among squatters to be peaceful. At least 13 people have died from political violence in recent weeks. No additional deaths were reported Sunday, but squatters attacked laborers overnight on three farms in Mvurwi, 75 miles north of Harare, farmers union boss David Hasluck said Sunday. None required medical care, he said. In a separate incident, a farmer traveling with employees in a pickup truck in Masvingo, 75 miles south of Harare, was stopped by war veterans who smashed the vehicle's windows, Hasluck said. The farmer escaped, but two workers were abducted. One was found severely beaten Sunday and was treated at a clinic. The other was still missing. Police arrested the leader of a group of squatters occupying a white-owned farm after they beat up farm workers, the farmers union said. The beating, which left 11 so seriously hurt they had to be hospitalized, took place Saturday night in Mutepatepa, 60 miles north of Harare. Details, including the name of the arrested local squatter leader, were not available. Police have mostly stood by since the farm occupations began in February after President Robert Mugabe lost a constitutional referendum that would have allowed the government to seize farms without paying compensation. Parliament subsequently passed a measure allowing for that anyway. With worries high over the effect of the crisis on the economy, Hunzvi urged farmers to bring their harvested tobacco, Zimbabwe's biggest export, to auctions. The auction season began Wednesday, but sales have been dismal. ``You are not supposed to hoard tobacco in barns,'' Hunzvi told a crowd of 1,000 supporters in Virginia, 81 miles southeast of Harare. Hasluck called Hunzvi's comments irrational, saying occupiers on farms had prevented workers from grading the tobacco, which meant that the tobacco wasn't ready in time for the auctions. Despite Hunzvi's talk of stopping violence during the farm occupations, there is no sign the land seizures will end. Mugabe says the farm takeovers are justified because one-third of the productive farmland in this southeast African country is owned by whites, many of them descendants of British colonial-era settlers. The MDC says the government is using the unresolved land issue to intimidate anti-Mugabe voters ahead of parliamentary elections expected to take place in coming months. AP-NY-04-30-00 1423EDT Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: <A HREF="aol://5862:146">News Profiles</A> and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles">NewsPro files</A>. For all of today's news, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:News">News</A>. >>
Violence Reported on Zimbabwe Farms .c The Associated Press By SUSANNA LOOF HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - In a rare intervention, police arrested the leader of a group of squatters after they beat up workers on a white-owned farm, officials said Sunday, but squatters staged other attacks elsewhere. In a sign the often violent takeovers of 1,000 white-owned farms might ease, a national leader of the squatters said he would travel around the country to cool the standoff and ensure that planting could begin within three days. The leader, Chenjerai Hunzvi - who heads a group of independence war veterans who have spearheaded the farm occupations - and the Commercial Farmers Union announced Friday they had reached an agreement that would stop violence and allow farming to continue. Farmer representatives said Hunzvi should spread the word among squatters to be peaceful. At least 13 people have died from political violence in recent weeks. No additional deaths were reported Sunday, but squatters attacked laborers overnight on three farms in Mvurwi, 75 miles north of Harare, farmers union boss David Hasluck said Sunday. None required medical care, he said. In a separate incident, a farmer traveling with employees in a pickup truck in Masvingo, 75 miles south of Harare, was stopped by war veterans who smashed the vehicle's windows, Hasluck said. The farmer escaped, but two workers were abducted. One was found severely beaten Sunday and was treated at a clinic. The other was still missing. Police arrested the leader of a group of squatters occupying a white-owned farm after they beat up farm workers, the farmers union said. The beating, which left 11 so seriously hurt they had to be hospitalized, took place Saturday night in Mutepatepa, 60 miles north of Harare. Details, including the name of the arrested local squatter leader, were not available. Police have mostly stood by since the farm occupations began in February after President Robert Mugabe lost a constitutional referendum that would have allowed the government to seize farms without paying compensation. Parliament subsequently passed a measure allowing for that anyway. With worries high over the effect of the crisis on the economy, Hunzvi urged farmers to bring their harvested tobacco, Zimbabwe's biggest export, to auctions. The auction season began Wednesday, but sales have been dismal. ``You are not supposed to hoard tobacco in barns,'' Hunzvi told a crowd of 1,000 supporters in Virginia, 81 miles southeast of Harare. Hasluck called Hunzvi's comments irrational, saying occupiers on farms had prevented workers from grading the tobacco, which meant that the tobacco wasn't ready in time for the auctions. Despite Hunzvi's talk of stopping violence during the farm occupations, there is no sign the land seizures will end. Mugabe says the farm takeovers are justified because one-third of the productive farmland in this southeast African country is owned by whites, many of them descendants of British colonial-era settlers. The MDC says the government is using the unresolved land issue to intimidate anti-Mugabe voters ahead of parliamentary elections expected to take place in coming months. AP-NY-04-30-00 1423EDT Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: <A HREF="aol://5862:146">News Profiles</A> and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles">NewsProfiles</A>. For all of today's news, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:News">News</A>.
