THE Government of Robert Mugabe tabled draconian laws yesterday to drive the last white farmers from their land and crush dissent.
The constitutional amendments debated in Parliament will nationalise all agricultural land that has been listed for seizure since 2000. Landowners will have no right to contest the confiscations and will be barred from receiving compensation ...
After five years of murder, assault and harassment of white-owned farms by state agents, the Government has managed to confiscate legally only about 10 per cent of the estimated 4,500 properties. All but a handful of white farmers have had their property listed for “compulsory acquisition”.
However, most of them have kept the Government at bay by fighting their eviction in court. About 450 farmers have stayed on their farms.
Mr Coltart [MDC legal director] said: “These constitutional changes are designed for once and for all to smash the white farmers and to close any possible avenue for using the constitution to protect human rights.”
From todays Times.
Posted by Matra on Fri, 19 Aug 2005 16:50 | #
Another clause in the legislation gives the Government powers “in the national interest” to stop people leaving the country
That sounds even more ominous than the confiscation of property.
I eagerly await the response from Trevor Phillips and Jesse Jackson.