President of Zimbabwe Wants to Expel White Farmers from Their Farms - 2002-08-10

Calm prevails in the commercial farms owned by white farmers in Zimbabwe, where hundreds of white farmers ignored the government's deadline to leave their farms by midnight on Thursday. Since the expiration of the farmers' deadline, no action has been reported against them by officials, nor has there been any violence or eviction of farmers from their lands. However, last night, the Zimbabwean government warned white farmers that they would face punishment if they did not comply with government orders to vacate their farms and hand them over to black Zimbabweans. According to the so-called land reform program of Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, nearly three thousand white farmers are set to be expelled from their farms and the land will be allocated to landless black Zimbabweans under the new law. The latest news from the Zimbabwean government states that farmers who have ignored the order to vacate their farms for the purpose of transferring them to black Zimbabweans will be severely punished. Nearly 3,000 white farmers were ordered by the government to leave their farms by midnight on Thursday. This is part of Robert Mugabe's highly controversial land reform program. Most farmers have ignored the government's order and are waiting to see how the government will react to court opposition against land seizures. So far, there have been no reports of action against the farmers. According to the controversial land reform law, the lands of commercial farms owned by white Zimbabweans will be allocated to black Zimbabweans. Mr. Mugabe claims that this action will rectify the injustices left over from the colonial era.