Zimbabwe farms seized

Scores of properties said to be farms owned by whites in Zimbabwe have been invaded since the country\'s national unity government took office.



President of the Commercial Farmers Union Trevor Gifford said 77 properties have been taken over in the last fortnight.



He said politicians, police, the military and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe officials had taken part in the invasions.



The Southern African Development Community Tribunal ruled in November that the Zimbabwe government\'s programme of seizing white-owned property for redistribution to landless black farmers was discriminatory and illegal.



At the time, the government said it would not comply with the ruling.



The BBC reports that efforts to contact a number of officials from President Robert Mugabe\'s Zanu-PF party have so far been unsuccessful.