2 journos 'hostage' in Zim
Harare - Pro-government militants are holding two journalists and a white farmer "hostage" in northern Zimbabwe, refusing to allow them to leave the farmhouse, according to a newspaper editor.
Precious Shumba of the Daily News and Peta Thornycroft of Britain's Daily Telegraph had been detained for at least three hours on the farm, said Daily News editor Bill Saidi.
They were being held with farmer Terry Hinde, whose land has been targeted for acquisition by President Robert Mugabe's government under a controversial programme to redistribute land from minority whites to marginalised blacks.
Earlier, the militants had been trying to force the Hinde family from the land they have farmed for 27 years.
It was unclear why they were now being detained.
The militants had accused Shumba of writing lies about the land-reform scheme, Saidi said.
"They want him to come and talk to their central committee, which I think is ominous, to say the least," he said.
Police had told Shumba they were en route to the farm, said Saidi.
Neither police officials in Harare nor Hinde's farm could be reached by telephone.
The Hinde family plans to challenge their eviction in court, following a precedent set last week when the High Court said farms under mortage could not be resettled until the bank had been notified. - Sapa-AFP
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