Those who gave any credibility to President Mugabe's announcement some months ago that he was ending the seizure of white-owned farms in Zimbabwe, had their hopes dashed on Monday when police moved in on a farm in rural Matabeleland.
Three truck-loads of officers rolled up to the Portve Farm, in Inyathi district, and told the white owner, David Jourbert, to get off the property. The keys to his house and other buildings were seized, as were several hunting rifles; his employees were told that from now on they were state labourers.
The raid, the first in Matabeleland this year, was led by Senior Assistant Commissioner Chivangire. A source reports there were scuffles between police and farmworkers before Jourbert left the property.
The farmer, whose family has owned Portve Farm for generations,
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Once the bread-basket of southern Africa, the country is grappling with food shortages |
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immediately filed an application in the High Court for the return of his property. The application names Police Commissioner Augustine and Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, as well as Chivangire himself. Observers say the court action has no chance of success; the government has made it clear it will not entertain cases of this nature.
Seven years ago, when Mugabe began his land-grabs, Zimbabwe had more than 4,000 white-owned farms. Today there are less than 100. Most of the seized farms went to senior police and army figures and senior government members.
In November the government began a campaign to offer farms back to their previous white owners - on state-owned leases. Few took up the offer and without their expertise Zimbabwe, once the bread-basket of southern Africa, continues to grapple with severe food shortages. 
FIRST POSTED APRIL 12, 2007
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