Veteran's death leads to new wave of intimidation

A new wave of violence has hit white-owned farms across Zimbabwe, caused by the death of the leader of land occupation.

A new wave of violence has hit white-owned farms across Zimbabwe, caused by the death of the leader of land occupation.

One farm worker died in weekend clashes with ruling party militants south of Harare, police and Commercial Farmers' Union sources said.

A farm manager was assaulted in south-western Zimbabwe; another was barricaded in his homestead; tobacco-planting was disrupted north of Harare.

Militants ordered another farm to stop work to mourn the death last week of Chenjerai "Hitler" Hunzvi, the leader of veterans of Zimbabwe's independence war who have led the illegal occupation of land.

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The ruling party declared Mr Hunzvi, one of its most feared and violent militants who died of malaria and AIDS complication, a national hero for what it described as his "selfless commitment and dedication" to wresting land and economic resources from the state's 50,000 whites.

The farmers' union said its members had reported scores of incidents of threats, intimidation, theft, forced work stoppages and new seizures of houses and fields since Mr Hunzvi's death.

Despite several violent incidents police made no arrests, the farmers' union said.

A police spokesman said Mr Zondiwa Dumukani, a farm driver, died on Sunday in violence between farm workers and illegal land-occupiers.

Afterwards, a farm manager, Mr Richard Thorne, and 26 of his workers were charged with public violence offences.

In southern Zimbabwe militants manned road-blocks and felled tree plantations on three farms in the past week. Elsewhere, two farmers who found a bag of belongings in the bush and handed it to local police were charged with stealing it.

Militants led by Mr Hunzvi's National Liberation War Veterans Association have occupied 1,700 white-owned farms since early last year.