The latest officially orchestrated attacks come after a pledge by Mugabe to end the seizure of white land. Accounts from rural areas indicate that Zanu (PF) thugs have stepped up violence.
Mike Bishop, 44, who farms near Karoi, north-west of Harare, said his farm was grabbed and when his workers and their wives tried to resist, they were beaten. About 50squatters have occupied his land and closed the farm's school.
"I am no longer sure I want to stay in Zimbabwe," said Bishop.
Squatters have prevented Bishop from working his fields and his farm is idle at a time when 1.5 million Zimbabweans need emergency food supplies to avert starvation.
Reports from the provinces of Mashonaland West and Central indicate that Zanu (PF) mobs have forced thousands of workers to attend all night ‘re-education’ camps.
Roy Crawford, 58, was abducted from his farm near Banket, north-west of Harare, on Friday and tied up with barbed wire. His offence was failing to chant election slogans supporting Mugabe. Crawford was eventually released after the police arrived, but his farm has been sealed off by the gang.
Mugabe has promised that violence on farms would be curbed and no more illegal land occupations would take place.
"In my district alone, the agreement over land has been violated hundreds of times," said a Commercial Farmers' Union representative in Chinhoyi.
Post published in: News