80 White Farmers Held in Zimbabwe

Police have arrested more than 80 white farmers in the last week and charged some in court for defying government orders to vacate land targeted for redistribution to landless blacks, a farm group said Saturday.

It also said police and war veterans had assaulted a white farmer during his arrest Saturday, a month after he left his farm in compliance with a government eviction notice.

“Tony Smith, who left his farm a month ago, was severely beaten up early this morning allegedly by police and war veterans at his Chisipite home in Harare,” Justice for Agriculture spokeswoman Jenni Williams said in a statement.

She said the group was trying to get Smith released from custody so that he could be treated for a suspected broken leg and head injuries.

It was unclear why he was arrested, and police were not immediately available for comment.

The government of President Robert Mugabe has ordered 2,900 of Zimbabwe’s remaining 4,500 white commercial farmers to give up their land without compensation, but nearly two-thirds are refusing to go after ignoring an Aug. 8 deadline.

Mugabe, who has been in power since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980, says his land drive is aimed at correcting colonial injustice that left 70% of the best farmland in the hands of a few thousand white farmers.

Zimbabwe has been in crisis since pro-government militants led by veterans of the 1970s liberation war began invading white-owned farms in early 2000.

Nearly half the population is short of food because of disruption on the farms and a drought affecting much of southern Africa.

On Saturday, the 11 Pacific members of the Commonwealth called for stronger action against Zimbabwe but stopped short of threatening to expel the country.