Farmers to face eviction charges

Six white farmers in Zimbabwe have been ordered to appear in court today accused of defying a government eviction order.

Justice for Agriculture, a farmers' group, said the six from the south-western Matabeleland province were the first to be charged for breaking President Robert Mugabe's deadline of August 8 to hand over farms to landless blacks. Nearly 60 per cent of the 2,900 farmers named for eviction are defying the order.

Police said the six would appear in court charged with violating the land acquisition law, which carries a fine or two years in jail.

"The farmers will say that they don't recognise Section 8 [ordering the farm evictions] because it is unconstitutional, and that it is not a crime to farm," said a spokeswoman for Justice for Agriculture.

President Mugabe said this week he would not allow any "avoidable impediments" to delay the completion of his "fast-track resettlement" by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, an opposition youth leader was charged with discussing the overthrow of President Mugabe's government yesterday. Nelson Chamisa, youth chairman for the Movement for Democratic Change, was released after being accused of seeking to unseat a government by unconstitutional means.