Squatters fire on Zimbabwe farm

12 April 2000



Squatters fire on Zimbabwe farm

By FWi staff

ARMED squatters stormed a Zimbabwean white farmers house last night and opened fire, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Although the shots are not thought to have caused casualties, is believed to be the first time guns have been used against a farmer.

But The Express says the leader of Zimbabwes campaign to seize commercial farms has blamed the white owners for the violence.

The paper quotes Chenjerai Hunzi as vowing to “continue our programme of reclaiming our ancestral land”.

It reports he said the whites “have declared war on us by trying to mobilise racist and imperialist forces against our country. We will not let them win this war.”

According to The Times, white farmers are striking a blow against President Mugabe by refusing to bring their tobacco crop to auction.

Farmers are waiting for a currency devaluation, but the sale of the crop would ease the countrys desperate shortage of hard currency, says the paper.

The Daily Mail reports that UK foreign secretary Robin Cook has ruled out sanctions on the basis that direct action would endanger the lives of white farmers.

Mr Cook said the best course of action was to press for free and fair elections in the hope that normal rule of law could be restored, says the paper.

• Zimbabwe rules out action on squatters, FWi, yesterday (11 April, 2000)
• Zimbabwe land seizure catastrophic, FWi, 10 April, 2000
• Mugabe threat to white farmers, FWi, 30 March, 2000
• Daily Telegraph, 12/04/00, page 1, page 3
• The Express, 12/04/00, page 18
• Daily Mail, 12/04/00, page 5, page 12
• The Times, 12/04/00, page 20