- HARARE -- An elderly white
farmer has been beaten to death in Zimbabwe.
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- Peter Siverten's body was found stuffed in a hole in
the ground. He had been planning to abandon his home and move to town for
safety.
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- The family of the 71-year-old widower said he had been
harassed by government officials trying to force him off the 400-acre property
at Kwekwe, 125 miles west of Harare, where he had lived for 33 years. Mr
Siverten grew his last crop in April and was preparing to leave when killed
by robbers on Monday.
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- Mr Siverten's daughter, Sonia O'Fee, said he was regularly
questioned by officials who took over neighbouring farms. "They were
always asking him when he was going."
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- The Commercial Farmers' Union said yesterday that a neighbour
found Mr Siverten's mutilated body after noticing his vehicle loaded with
household belongings.
-
- The union also reported rising violence on white farmers
in the eastern Manicaland province. A woman was allegedly told she was
being raped because she was white.
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004.
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- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/01/
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