Harare — TWO white former commercial farmers appeared in separate courts in Chegutu and Chiredzi over land-related issues while six others and their managers in the southeastern Lowveld were arrested for allegedly refusing to vacate State acquired land.

In Chegutu, Martin Joubert was charged with taking hostage eight youths living on a farm allocated to veteran politician and Zanu-PF information and publicity secretary Cde Nathan Shamuyarira.

On the other hand, Digby Sean Nesbitt appeared in a Chiredzi court for refusing to vacate a farm allocated to the Officer Commanding Matabeleland North Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai.

Still in Chiredzi, former farmers Michael Fay-Dherbe of Farm 33 Hippo Valley Settlement, Benoit Lagesse of Farm 1 Hippo Valley, Cecil Jean Derobellad, Tony Renato Sarto of Lot 1 Ranch North, Jeffrey Soma of Lot 2 Fair Ranch and Mariah Theressa Warth of Wasara Ranch were arrested for refusing to vacate acquired farms.

Also arrested were farm managers Jaison Mahomu (Lagesse), Albert Chisango (Derobellad) and Chenzira Wilson Gondo (Soma).

The arrests, carried out between March 22 and yesterday, come hard on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling that farmers who refused to vacate acquired farms could be prosecuted.

Warth is expected to appear in court today, while the other five are due to stand in the dock on April 16.

Investigations are still in progress.

Prominent Chiredzi businessman and former farmer Nesbitt, who is refusing to vacate State acquired land, yesterday told Chiredzi magistrate Mr Enias Magate that he was prepared to leave his farm but only after Government had paid him compensation of US$2,1 million.

In his defence, Nesbitt said he would remain on the remainder of Farm 30 at Hippo Valley Estates since he was given specific instructions by the then Minister of National Security, Lands, Land Resettlement, Cde Didymus Mutasa, to stay on the farm.

He told the magistrate that he had been given a provisional court order in Masvingo to remain on the farm.

Although Nesbitt said he had never met Cde Mutasa, he said the instructions came from some officials from the minister's office.

He stated that senior Politiburo members --former Masvingo governor Willard Chiwewe, Minister Stan Mudenge, former Senator Dzikamai Mavhaire and former legislator Celina Pote had also made efforts to have him reinstated on the farm.

The farm was allocated to four beneficiaries including Snr Asst Comm Veterai.

Nesbitt said former governor Chiwewe became furious when he told him that Snr Asst Comm Veterai had an offer letter for 70 hectares.

The court heard that Nesbitt had gone through the courts in a bid to evict all the four beneficiaries from the farm.

Nesbitt said he applied for land on February 10, 2006, but never got a response.

"As long as the ministry does not respond to my application for land especially on Farm 30, I will remain there," he said.

He added that the developments he had made on the farm had cost US$2,1 million. These included 8 000 crocodiles, which he valued at US$700 000 and farm equipment worth US$300 000.

Chief law officer Mr Tawanda Zvekare appeared for the State while Harare lawyers Ms Nyaradzo Maphosa and Rodney Makausi defended Nesbitt.

In Chegutu, Joubert of Mt Camel Farm, who is allegedly managing the farm, which formerly belonged to Mike Campbell and seven other men alleged to be working for Campbell, were arraigned before the magistrates' court yesterday for alleged kidnapping.

The other seven men are Enock Freedwell (48), Innocent Takawira (33), Alex Chemai (45), Umali Makanje (35), Daiton Dzimbiri (45), Davis Chikaunda (35) and Dhadhe Antonia (42).

They were not asked to plead when they appeared before magistrate Mr Tinashe Ndereka.

Mr Ndereka remanded all the eight in custody to today when he will rule on the defence application challenging the decision by the State to have them placed on remand.

The State, led by Mr Allan Chifokoyo, alleges that on April 4 the men went to Mt Camel Farm and forced the complainants into two Landcruiser vehicles before assaulting them with bicycle chains.

It is alleged that the Joubert and his team then drove their victims to Balclutha Farm where they ordered the complainants out of the vehicles and forced them to roll in a pond alongside the road.

The complainants, it is alleged, were again forced to get into the trucks and driven to Msengezi area and beaten along the way.

It is further alleged that Joubert and his team then dumped the eight youths at a bush village 3 in Msengezi after assaulting them.

The youths then ran for their lives and disappeared and when they regrouped after some time one of them, Mike Tangwena, was missing.

His whereabouts are still unknown and police are making efforts to find him.

Earlier on, Mr David Drury of Gollop and Blank, who is representing all the eight suspects, complained over the unlawful detention of his clients, which he said exceeded the stipulated 48 hours.

He also complained that his clients were severely assaulted by the police.

In his brief ruling, Mr Ndereka said the claims over detention were unfounded as the 48-hour period spilled into yesterday in terms of the law.

The magistrate, however, ordered full investigations into the allegations of torture of the suspects while in police detention.

"If the investigations show that they were ill-treated we will demonstrate that no one is above the law," said Mr Ndereka.

The magistrate is also today expected to make an order allowing the suspects to go for medical examination and treatment.

After the court ruling, Mr Drury made an application seeking to block the State from placing his clients on remand.

He argued that before the suspects were placed on remand the court should be satisfied with the basic matrix of the facts, which are not concocted to place his clients on remand.

Mr Drury said the statements by the State witnesses and the facts on the State outline were contradictory, putting the credibility of the State case at stake.

But in his counter-argument, Mr Chifokoyo said the placing of the suspects on remand did not require resolution of conflict of evidence.

"The constitutional requirement relates to suspicion that is reasonable," said Mr Chifokoyo.

After hearing the submissions from both the defence and State counsel Mr Ndereka reserved judgment to today.