White Farmers In De Mutha Country Country Not Allowed To Meet

Yet another item you won't see reported by the big liberal media.

BroJack
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http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-259_1452497,00.html
Cops break up farmers' meeting 
28/11/2003 20:13  - (SA)   

Harare - Police broke up a meeting of displaced white farmers and
detained at least four of their leaders for questioning, the group's
lawyer said on Friday. 

More than 100 white farmers gathered at an agricultural research
institute north of Harare to discuss legal implications of the
government's seizure of thousands of white-owned farms for
redistribution to blacks. 

Police accused organisers of convening a public meeting without
notifying them - an offense punishable by up to six months in jail
under strict security laws - according to their lawyer, Beatrice
Mtetwa. Participants were ordered to disperse, witnesses said. 

The meeting was organised by Justice for Agriculture, an association
of farmers thrown off their property under the controversial land
program. 

The group is demanding that the government pay them realistic
compensation or return their land. 

Its head, John Worsely-Worswick, was detained for questioning at
Harare's main police station along with three other officials and a
prominent lawyer, Mtetwa said. 

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena declined to comment on the
arrests, saying he was awaiting details from provincial police
officers. 

The farm seizures have crippled Zimbabwe's agriculture based economy,
leaving the country with acute shortages of food, gasoline, medicine
and other imports. 

The World Food Program estimates more than 5.5 million people - almost
half the population - will need food aid to avert famine in coming
months. 

Many prime farms seized by the government went to ruling party
leaders. Others lie idle because of shortages of fertilizer, seeds and
plowing equipment. 

The state District Development Fund said on Friday that 13 000
functioning tractors remained in the country. At least 40 000 are
needed for plowing ahead of upcoming rains, the fund said, but many
were destroyed during the often-violent land seizures since February
2002.