Grahamstown — A Zimbabwe high court judge yesterday, Monday, ordered the release of 11 dirty and hungry Raffingora farmers, but Zimbabwe police in the tiny town of Banket north of Harare were working at such a "snail's pace" it seemed the men would spend one more night in their filthy cells.

This was according to Mrs Ann Ashburner, the Grahamstown-based sister of detained farmer John Asburner, 46. . She said wives and parents of the men were still unable to give them food, clothing and soap.

Meanwhile, Mr Brian Penn, the deputy public affairs officer at the United States Consulate in Cape Town, told ECN yesterday that the detentions were part of a "pervasive and profound campaign of violence, intimidation and electoral manipulation" being waged by the Mugabe government and its security forces against opposition groups and individuals. He said a leading US official was in Johannesburg and would be making a key statement on the situation in Zimbabwe soon.

Mrs Ashburner said: "The good news is that they will no longer be charged with conspiring to overthrow the state, but with a minor charge of contravening the new electoral law." The farmers were detained last week after they tried to prevent MDC election monitors from being abducted by Zanu-PF youth militia.

Ashburner said members of the farming community who could reach the outside world were reporting a campaign of terror and intimidation against white farmers and MDC opposition members with many farmers fleeing their homes, with some hiding "in the koppies".

She said farmer's wife Mrs Jean Simmons was rescued from the youth militia by artist and farmer Craig Bone after the youths arrived on her farm while she was being interviewed by SA television station, e-tv.

Ashburner said: "But another woman and her 22-year-old son are unaccounted for. They are just missing." In an emotional email to an outside friend, Mr Ashburner's wife Sarah wrote: "Dear Kerry, since writing this I have been told that Banket Police Station, where the guys are being held has been cordoned off and there is an armed guard on duty there.

"Apparently the conditions are disgusting. One bowl of sloppy food per day to be shared between three guys, five blankets to share between the 10 of them and an abundance of creatures to crawl over them in the night, no water to wash and apparently the stench is unbelievable.

"We do realise that all these conditions are imminently survivable, but is this also to be considered humane?

"I know this is one of many examples throughout the country. We can but trust that the observer missions are aware of what is going on. - Sarah" She also wrote a letter to US President George Bush ending with the plea: "Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated." She also told Bush that she had told her story to "various people, including the SA Observer Mission. None of these groups have had access to the men in Banket Police Station." Speaking from the US consulate in Cape Town, Mr Penn said the US assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, Walter Kansteiner was in Johannesburg and was preparing to make a key statement on the Zimbabwe election "in the next day or so".

Penn said the plight of the Raffingora detainees were "part and parcel of rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is conducting a blatant campaign of violence and intimidation which is effecting the election process.

"It is all part and parcel of what these gentlemen have fallen into." "The ruling party militia, with the aid of the police, are intimidating and assaulting opposition supporters." "The (Mugabe) government is doing all it can to reduce the turnout for the oppostion, by reducing the number of polling stations by half or more in some locations." He said this position had been articulated by the US state department at press briefings, "in meetins with other goverments and the Zimbabwe government".