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| author/source:Cape Times (SA) |
| published:Fri 17-Aug-2001 |
| posted on this site:Sat 18-Aug-2001 |
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| Article Type : News |
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| "We felt that what our colleague is doing was beyond the premises of democracy, and he has to be stopped" |
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Ludzidzini, Swaziland - In an unusually open criticism of one regional leader by another, Swaziland's King Mswati III said this week that he and other leaders of the Southern African Development Community had to stop Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's undemocratic seizure of white-owned farmland. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday on his arrival from the SADC summit in Blantyre, Malawi, Mswati said the future of the SADC region would be tarnished if its leaders allowed Mugabe to continue grabbing whites' land. "We have already appointed three heads of state to deal with Mugabe on the land grab issue. We felt that what our colleague is doing was beyond the premises of democracy, and he has to be stopped," he said.
The king was referring to SADC's decision to appoint a task team consisting of South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana - as well as SADC's present, immediate past and future chairpersons - to address the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe. In an unusually critical statement, the SADC leaders expressed concern about the effects of Zimbabwe's economic situation on the region. At last year's summit, the SADC heads fully backed Zimbabwe on its handling of the land question.
Meanwhile the 21 white farmers from the strife-torn Chinhoyi district of north-western Zimbabwe were to spend their 11th night in jail on Thursday night after a High Court judge postponed until Friday a ruling on their appeal to be released on bail. The farmers, who include South African Louis Fick, have been in custody since their arrest on Monday last week after they clashed with war veterans and other ruling Zanu-PF supporters who had invaded white-owned farmland. A magistrate in Chinhoyi refused to grant them bail last week, and so they appealed to the High Court.
High Court Judge Rita Makarau said at Thursday's appeal hearing that she needed time to study the arguments raised by the state and the farmers. Makarau had earlier quizzed Firoz Girach, the farmers' advocate, on whether releasing the farmers on bail would indeed not endanger their security and that of the entire community in Chinhoyi in view of revenge attacks against farmers in the town by the government's militant supporters. Girach replied that individual liberty was sacrosanct and that no one should be denied freedom because of arguments about security.
Denmark froze all aid to the Zimbabwean government on Thursday after accusing Mugabe of fomenting strife within his troubled state. Danish Co-operation Minister Anita Bay Bundegaard said the decision had been taken in the light of the "political crisis which has grown worse within the past few days, marked by increasing aggression and violations of law and order, which the president appears to be knowingly fomenting rather than combating". With the freeze, the total amount of Danish aid to Zimbabwe for this year has been reduced to R71-million, all of it for non-governmental bodies. Denmark has also decided to suspend annual bilateral talks with Zimbabwe scheduled for the beginning of next year. It has furthermore decided to withdraw its three advisers to the Zimbabwean health minister, but is looking for other ways to assist deprived sections of the Zimbabwean population, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.
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