Posted on 08/14/2002 7:40:03 AM PDT by Clive
Pro-government militants were holding two journalists along with a white farmer in northern Zimbabwe, refusing to allow them to leave the farmhouse, a newspaper editor said today. Precious Shumba of the Daily News and Peta Thornycroft of Britain's Daily Telegraph had been detained for at least three hours on the farm, Bill Saidi, the Daily News editor said.
They were being held along with farmer Terry Hinde, whose land has been targetted for acquisition by President Robert Mugabe's government under a controversial programme to redistribute land from minority whites to marginalised blacks.
Earlier, the militants had been trying to force the Hinde family from the land they have farmed for 27 years. It was unclear why they were now being detained. The militants had accused Shumba of writing lies about the land reform scheme, Saidi said. "They want him to come and talk to their central committee, which I think is ominous to say the least," he said.
Police had told Shumba they were en route to the farm, Saidi added. Neither police officials in Harare nor Hinde's farm could be reached by telephone. The Hinde family plans to challenge their eviction in court, following a precedent set last week when the High Court said farms under mortage could not be resettled until the bank was notified. - Sapa-AFP
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