Zimbabwe orders illegal land occupiers off German-owned plantations – (BIPPA Violations by Zanu PF)
2010 07 09
http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=128056
Zimbabwe- Germany- Diplomacy
APA-Harare
(Zimbabwe)
The Zimbabwe government has ordered a group of armed people off three agricultural plantations in the east of the country following a three-week standoff that was threatening Harare’s diplomatic ties with Germany, APA learns here Friday.
An official from the German embassy in Harare said the illegal land occupiers, believed to be supporters of President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party, were finally removed Thursday from Makandi Tea and Coffee Estate, Border Timbers Estate and Forester Estate which are owned by German national Heinrich von Pezold.
“The Zimbabwe government has agreed to stop the invasions and the situation is back to normal at all three properties,” the official said.
The properties are covered by a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement between Zimbabwe and Germany in 1995 but which came into force in 2000.
The agreement precludes any farms owned by Germans from expropriation under Zimbabwe’s controversial land reform programme.
The Harare government had previously refused to act against the illegal occupants who claimed they were allocated the properties under the land reform programme.
Germany threatened to withhold aid to Zimbabwe, which totalled more than US$ 50 million in 2009.
The illegal land occupiers are believed to have looted maize and other crops valued at more than US$ 1 million since moving onto the farms on June 18.
JN/daj/APA
2010-07-09
African Press Agency – Copyright upon prior authorization