The first five white farmers charged with defying Zimbabwean government eviction orders appeared briefly in court today and were freed on bail, allowing them to return to their homes.
Hundreds of the 2,900 white farmers ordered to leave their land by midnight on August 8th have remained. Many have reportedly been harassed by ruling ZANU-PF party militants, but the government made no serious move against them until the court case today.
Mr Mac Crawford, an official with the Commercial Farmers Union and one of the five arrested, said the farmers were told to reappear in court on September 6th in the town of Gwanda, 80 miles south of Bulawayo. No bail conditions were imposed and they were free to go return to their farms after posting nominal bail.
The farmers face a maximum penalty of up to two years in jail and a fine.
At least two other farmers are expected to appear in court in other towns today, while several others in the western Matabeleland province reported being served with papers summoning them to court later, Crawford said.
The police action was again shrouded in confusion. State radio quoted President Robert Mugabe saying no white farmers would be left landless or homeless. None would be deprived of their sole means of livelihood, the controversial leader told a visiting group of African-American activists.
But Mr Ignatius Chombo, the local government minister, warned that the government had lost patience with hundreds of white farmers defying orders to leave their farms.
"We are considering a number of options to ensure the land redistribution programme is not unnecessarily derailed. Those defying the law should be duly charged," he said.
Since the eviction deadline passed last week, ruling party militants have made at least a dozen attempts to force farmers from their land.
AP