Dep PM Mutambara and other govt ministers investigate issues of farm invasions скачать в хорошем качестве

Dep PM Mutambara and other govt ministers investigate issues of farm invasions

(17 Apr 2009) 1. Farmer Richard Eterege unlocking gates to Stockdoe farm 2. Poster of President Robert Mugabe on gate next to orange field 3. Wide of orange field 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Richard Eterege, Farmer: "Edna (Madzongwe, the President of the Senate) actually called on the ZFTU and they've given us big problems here. Myself and my brother were forced to actually leave under cover of darkness because she had all these youth and all these people here." 5. Armed policeman walking round the farm 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Farai Madzongwe, daughter of Edna Madzongwe: "Nothing has been happening here because all of this has been resolved in the court. We have the offer letter. I am to understand that there is an issue with SADC that was being taken care of and everything like that but we have not officially moved on to these premises." 7. Wide of Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara speaking to assembled farms 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arthur Mutambara, Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister: "There are problems on our farms. There are issues around BIPA (Bi-lateral Investment Protection Agreements) farms. There are issues around fake offer letters." 9. Close of official government letter offering to settler 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arthur Mutambara, Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister: "We won't tolerate any government official who is promoting lawlessness in our country. Our country right now is trying to attract investment, attract trade, attract aid. We can't afford to be damaging business confidence in our country." 11. Wide pan of farmyard 12. Close of idle machinery 13. Various of rotting mangos in shed STORYLINE Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara toured three farms on Friday following Finance Minister Tendai Biti's remarks last week that there had been a fresh wave of seizures of white-owned farms since the coalition was sworn in two months ago. Biti raised concerns last week that violence and difficulties with Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal were keeping visitors and investment away. The coalition formed in February brought together President Robert Mugabe and long-time opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to address the nation's economic and humanitarian crisis. Biti, an ally of Tsvangirai, cited a fresh wave of farm seizures as well as remaining political differences and the continued detention of some opposition activists. The coalition government had previously agreed to end farm seizures. But many observers say this has not been the case and argue that Tsvangirai is failing to bring his influence to bear over Mugabe. Farmers' organisations say about 100 farms have been targeted in recent weeks, most by Mugabe party officials and their supporters. One farm filmed by AP Television belonged to white farmer Richard Eterege who claimed to have been kicked off his land on a series of occasions as a result of the government's land redistribution policy. He claimed his land had been seized by President of the Senate, Edna Madzongwe. However Edna's daughter told reporters that "all of this has been resolved in a court". Since Mugabe began his land redistribution program in 2000, some 4-thousand whites have lost their properties, leaving about 400 still on their land, many under almost permanent siege. Years of seizures have disrupted the economy in the former regional breadbasket, leading to the world's highest inflation rate and chronic shortages of food, gasoline and basic goods. Biti said recently that the new government received revenues of about one fifth the total it requires to operate effectively. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...