Priest critical of regime ordered out

A Presbyterian minister who accused Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe of being a murderer is due to leave the country after being ordered out by the authorities, agencies reported on Monday.

South African-born Paul Andrianatos made the accusation last year at the funeral of white farmer Martin Olds, who was shot dead on his farm in Matabeleland by self-styled war veterans.

Reverend Adrianatos officiated at the funeral on Friday of Mr Olds’ mother, who was shot dead at the same farm as her son. During an hour-long sermon, he accused government and political leaders of encouraging violence against white farmers. Last week, his work permit was cancelled and he was told to leave Zimbabwe by Sunday.

Mrs Olds was the eighth member of Zimbabwe’s white farming community to be killed since ruling party militants and veterans of the country’s independence war began a violent campaign to seize white-owned farms last year with the backing of Mugabe and his government. Reverend Andrianatos called the murderers of the 72-year-old widow “scum and cowards”. “It’s a sad day when leaders tolerate and in some cases encourage lawlessness,” he told the congregation.