News Analysis: While Mugabe turns white farmers into criminals, Zimbabwe slips closer to famine

Independent (UK) ^ | June 25, 2002 | Basildon Peta, Zimbabwe Correspondent

[Clive]

As the midnight deadline for white farmers in Zimbabwe to surrender their land moved closer last night, the quandary facing Mike Clark, a cattle rancher, grew ever more acute.

Even though Zimbabwe, and indeed the rest of southern Africa, faces a potentially devastating hunger crisis, nearly 3,000 white commercial farmers have been told that they must stop farming and forfeit their lands, some with crops that they were readying themselves to harvest.

Mr Clark and 2,900 other white farmers are determined to defy President Robert Mugabe's latest decree and remain on their farms. Yet they know only too well the consequences of refusing to obey Zimbabwe's ruthless dictator.

Mr Clark has seen 11 of his colleagues murdered in cold blood by Mr Mugabe's supporters in state- sanctioned violence. He has also witnessed the killing of hundreds of black opposition supporters who have dared to stand up to Mr Mugabe's tyranny.

But Mr Clark said he has to reconcile his fears with reality. "I can't just be expected to wind up 50 years of hard work in a few days and surrender everything," he said.

"This new law has virtually criminalised the farming profession. It's now a crime to produce food for my country at a time when the masses are starving ... What a mess."

From today, white farmers risk two years in jail or a $Z20,000 (

[Clive]

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[happygrl]

I was wrong.

I thought that, by this time, some inner circle ZANU-PF Party member would step up to the plate and perform the necessary action to remove Mad Bob.

It's a tragedy all around.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

"Zimbabwe slips closer to famine."

Mugabe has been labeled a "Marxist" dictator. It appears to me the only thing keeping the label "Stalinist" from being accurate are the numbers. Mugabe isn't going to starve to death 25 million as did Stalin.

But what does this suggest would be a good label for the Mathusian Megalomaniacs who instigate non-involvement by any powers of the west? (Sad to say, some of our moral giants think this makes them brilliant and farsighted).

"If these leaders of those foreign lands and their powerbase don't see anything wrong in killing their own people, what right do you have to step in?
Hehe, besides, attrocities by the likes of Mugabe is ultimately good for the planet.
Five million here, two million there, before ya know it we'll be among the last few million men standing. Hehe"

No, SuperStalinist monsters doesn't come close enough to being accurate for the likes of these "utopians."