Officials threaten action against white farmers

Zimbabwean officials threatened strong action against hundreds of white farmers defying a government order evicting them from their land, according to state media reports today.

Though farmers reported no serious moves against them since the midnight Thursday deadline for them to abandon their land passed, senior officials appeared infuriated that their orders were being ignored.

"All the excuses by the farmers show what an arrogant and racist bunch they are. It shows they want to derail the land redistribution programme by any means - they will not succeed"” said Ignatius Chombo, a local government minister, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.

Chombo said "appropriate measures" would be taken against farmers breaking the law.

Nearly 3,000 white farmers were ordered to leave their land as part of the country’s programme to seize white-owned farms and give them to blacks.

Vice President Simon Muzenda warned the authorities would act firmly against farmers opposing the "irreversible" land programme.

"You are told by government what we want done and you simply do that," he told state radio.

Co-Vice President Joseph Msika, head of the land reform task force, told state television that farmers staying on their land would “live to regret it.

"Those who are not going to work within the laws of Zimbabwe have nobody to blame but themselves. The law will take its course," he said.

The government has targeted 95% of white-owned farms for seizure.