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afrol News, 13 November - The Zimbabwean government has accelerated its "land resettlement programme" and at the same time issued a decree, amending the country's Land Acquisition Act. White farmers now can be forced off their land with immediate effect and the takeover is legitimised faster. President Robert Mugabe on Friday decreed and amendment to Zimbabwe's Land Acquisition Act, totally changing the procedure for the occupants' takeover of white farmers' land. Farmers who have been issued with acquisition orders by the government from now immediately will have to stop farming, being confined to their houses, which they should also vacate within three months. Government immediately takes over ownership of the farm. As the land-acquisition orders previously had to pass through the courts first, there are some 800 cases awaiting a verdict. These farms must now be handed over immediately, and farming will have to cease or pass over to the occupants. Courts are now to examine these cases retrospectively. Zimbabwean Minister of Justice, Patrick Chinamasa, explained the move by a need to accelerate the land reform. "We had power to confine the farmers at their houses. We did not do this because we expected some co-operation from farmers but it was not forthcoming. Now that we have removed ambiguity, the resettlement programme will go ahead," said Chinamasa. Reactions of course depend on those interviewed. The government newspaper 'The Herald' today published an interview with "Hurungwe District war veterans' chairman Cde John Dungiro," who welcomed the amendment. - The latest move protects the new settlers and they have to farm without interference, said Mr. Dungiro. Referring to the landowner of the farm he was occupying, he continued, "Farmers of (Mr.) Roper's calibre have been on the forefront creating tension and false information that new settlers were problematic." He told 'The Herald' he expected Mr Roper to comply with the new law. The country's white farmers are more sceptical. According to the BBC, Zimbabwe's white farmers say farming is likely to stop on almost 800 farms immediately, something to deepen the economic crisis of the country.
An estimated 1,700 commercial farms, owned by white farmers have been occupied over the last one and a half year. These farms now are estimated to house over 200,000 Zimbabweans - mostly landless people. Under the accelerated land resettlement programme over 50,000 new black commercial farmers have emerged - those are, however, mostly ruling party veterans. With the new amendment, government is in an easier position to take over new farms without the previous occupation by "war vets". According to the Minister of Justice, Patrick Chinamasa, the Zimbabwean government is set out to acquire a total of over 9 million hectares for resettlement purposes. The government will increase the number of judges at the Administrative Court, from the current six, to deal with and clear the land cases that the white commercial farmers have continued to "filibuster the system contesting against the acquisition of their farms and slowing land reforms," reported 'The Herald' today.
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