Zimbabwe farmers get bail after two weeks in jail
Zimbabwe’s High Court today granted bail to 21 white farmers who had spent two weeks in jail on charges they attacked black squatters who had occupied white-owned farms.
High Court Judge Rita Makarau barred 20 of the farmers from returning home to the Mashonaland West province fearing renewed violence in the area.
Pro-Government militants in the province have looted and burned white-owned homes over the past two weeks. A 72-year-old farmer, who had been in hospital, was permitted to return home.
Ruling party militants have illegally occupied more than 1,700 white-owned farms since March 2000, spurred by a government campaign to seize 4,600 white farms and give the land to blacks. The targeted farms make up about 95 percent of white-owned farmland.
In Harare, Judge Makarau said she feared violence between the farmers and the farm occupiers if the arrested farmers were allowed to return home.
"The settlers are still on the farms. There is no evidence before me that the appellants and the settlers have worked out a way of living together," she said.
"There is therefore a high likelihood of public violence and unrest if the appellants are immediately returned to the community."
The 21 farmers, who were arrested on August 6, denied assaulting the squatters and ruling party militants. They said they went to the assistance of a colleague under siege by the squatters and were attacked first.
