Violence continues to shut down farms - CFU

Some 350 mainly white-owned farms have shut down because of occupation by pro-government militants, while another 550 are only able to function partially, Zimbabwe's Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU) said on Tuesday. AFP reported that according to new figures from the CFU, 900 of the 1,150 farms under occupation were unable to continue normal operations.

According to the report, the CFU said 20 farms were invaded after the Zimbabwean government signed a Commonwealth-brokered deal in Abuja, Nigeria, on 6 September, and 25 farmers had been forced off their property. The CFU also said another five farmers had either been kidnapped or barricaded in their homes, while beatings and evictions of farm workers, extortion, arson, poaching and theft had continued. The Zimbabwean government agreed during the Abuja talks to end farm invasions and violence in return for financial help from Britain for its land reform programme.

Meanwhile, state television reported on Tuesday night that President Robert Mugabe was on his way to Singapore, from where he would head to Vietnam and then onto the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Australia.