>To: "Power to the People" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, >----------------------- >Yours in solidarity >Per Rasmussen >Denmark > >Harmony Mailing List* >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >Give the land back, Zim court tells Mugabe > >November 10 2000 at 11:17PM > > > >By Cris Chinaka > >Harare - Zimbabwe's Supreme Court has declared President Robert Mugabe's >land seizures from white farmers illegal and ordered the government to evict >self-styled war veterans occupying the farms since February. > >The court said that the resettlement of the farms "contravened the >fundamental right contained in the constitution of Zimbabwe" and told the >government to comply within 48 hours. > >The mainly white Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU) took the government to >court on Monday, arguing that presidential powers used by Mugabe to seize >white-owned land for black resettlement were invalid under the constitution. > >Mugabe has vowed he would not heed any court orderMugabe amended the >constitution earlier this year to give him power to seize the farms with no >obligation to pay for the land if former colonial power Britain did not >provide funding. > >The Supreme Court is still considering the constitutionality of the whole >process, including the issue of optional payment. > >But in its provisional ruling on Friday, the court ordered 11 government >ministers involved with the resettlement scheme, the police commissioner as >well as the minister in charge of police to ensure that no illegal settlers >remained on the farms. > >"The ruling underlines the legal position. We hope the government will >respect it," said Tim Henwood, president of the 4 500-member CFU. > >There was no immediate reaction from the government, but Mugabe has >previously vowed he would not heed any court order that interfered with his >land redistribution programme, which is meant to correct imbalances created >by colonial rule. > >The government has sanctioned the invasion of hundreds of farms by >self-styled veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war against white rule, >ignoring high court orders to drive them out. > >Mugabe argues that they are demonstrating support for his land >redistribution programme. But critics say he hopes to divert attention from >a growing political challenge triggered by an economic crisis blamed on >government mismanagement. > >The CFU argued this week that the Presidential Powers Act, which Mugabe's >government has used to earmark 3 041 farms for resettlement, was designed to >deal with emergencies only, and not to replace the legislative authority of >parliament. > >Zimbabwe's deputy attorney-general, Bharat Patel, defended Mugabe, saying >the CFU case contained "vague and generalised allegations that are >essentially political in nature". > >In the past few days, Zimbabwe's official media have carried articles >questioning the ability of the judiciary to be impartial on the land issue >and advertisements praising Mugabe's stance. > >The 76-year-old former guerrilla leader, in power since the former Rhodesia >gained independence 20 years ago, says it is immoral that 4 500 farmers >occupy more than 70 percent of the country's most fertile land. > >He wants to acquire at least five million hectares of the 12 million under >commercial farming. > >A survey by a pro-democracy regional group two weeks ago said most >Zimbabweans do not support the land-grab programme, and do not see land >reform as the key issue facing the country. - Reuters > > > >-- > >Articles are shared with subscribers who express prior interest in Blazing >Star news, information and feedback for charitable research and educational >purposes pursuant to: > >Title 17 USC �107 >http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml > >HELP FIND MISSING CHILDREN >http://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/missing/2000/02/kwilliams.html?s=syn.emil_ >kwilliams > >Blazing Star >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >_________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > >Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at >http://profiles.msn.com. > >-- > >1. NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR NATIVE AMERICANS PETITION >http://www.petitiononline.com/indian/petition.html >2. LA RAZA BOYCOTT OF THE U.S. MILITARY PETITION >http://www.PetitionOnline.com/elgrito/petition.html >3. MINORITY BOYCOTT OF U.S. AIR FORCE >http://www.PetitionOnline.com/USAFkkk/petition.html >4. BSU OPEN FORUM >http://pub17.bravenet.com/forum/show.asp?usernum=1383801272&cpv=1 > >*BLAZING STAR UNIVERSITY (BSU) >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >To unsubscribe, type the single word UNSUBSCRIBE in a message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> >eGroups eLerts >It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! >http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/1/_/22961/_/974065706/ >---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> > >Knowledge is Power! >Elimination of the exploitation of man by man >http://www.egroups.com/group/pttp/ >POWER TO THE PEOPLE! > >Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Change Delivery Options: >http://www.egroups.com/mygroups > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
