White Zimbabwean farmer can return to his land, says Emmerson Mnangagwa
Harare — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa ordered that a white Zimbabwean farmer evicted from his land in June be allowed to return, signalling a shift in land-ownership policy from predecessor Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa has also ordered an end to the intimidation and eviction of farmers, regardless of race, with immediate effect, presidential adviser Chris Mutsvanga said on Thursday. Robert Smart, evicted from his Lesbury Estate farm in the eastern Manicaland province by then-governor Mandi Chimene, can return immediately, Mutsvanga said by phone interview from the capital, Harare. Chimene’s current whereabouts are not known, while a religious leader who participated in the eviction was "told to leave the farmer alone", Mutsvanga added. Several ministers and governors loyal to Mugabe, like Chimene, have disappeared from public view since November 15, when Zimbabwe’s military briefly took control of the country. One of Mnangagwa’s key challenges will be to revive an agricultura...
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