.bmp)
.bmp)
Zanu PF militants have invaded the farm of Commercial Farmers' Union president Trevor Gifford, saying he is never to return home.Mr Gifford, who has spent a frantic week in Harare trying to assist at least 60 fellow farmers cope with their own invasions around the country was not at home near Chipinge, about 220 miles south east of Harare, when the mob of about 30 wearing Zanu-PF T-shirts arrived at his security gate."They have left messages with staff for me that they are taking over the farm and will manage the livestock with some of my workers," Mr Gifford said.Mr Gifford has endured many previous invasions and his mature coffee crop and more than two-thirds of his macadamia and avocado plantation on about 600 acres have been destroyed by invaders and new farmers since President Robert Mugabe began seizing white owned farms in 2000.He is presently running 200 cattle, mostly for his brother who was also evicted by Mr Mugabe's supporters,and a small dairy on the old family farm, Wolverhampton. "They shouted that the state owns my farm now," he said.Most of his land was handed over to Mr Mugabe's supporters but they failed to grow enough crops to feed their families and will need emergency food aid this year.White commercial farmers have been under huge pressure and some have had their homes, crops and equipment destroyed or taken over this week as Zanu-PF claims that the Movement for Democratic Change would return land to evicted white farmers, most of whom left Zimbabwe and settled overseas.Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, who most analysts believe delivered a humiliating defeat to Mr Mugabe in the presidential election has said there would be no reversal of the "land reform" programme begun by Mr Mugabe in 2000 which saw about 4,000 white farmers deprived of their land, homes and businesses.Results for the presidential poll have been delayed although they were available to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on March 31.Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa said that there would be a pre-result recount of the presidential poll even before the results are delivered.As in the days of Noah....
