White Zimbabwe farmer killed

Ford was shot by suspected militants

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- A white farmer was killed in Zimbabwe hours before the leaders of South Africa and Nigeria met President Robert Mugabe to discuss his recent election win.

Farmer Terry Ford was shot early on Monday at his homestead by suspected ruling party militants, said Benjamin Freeth, a Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU) regional official.

He was the first farmer killed since Mugabe won the election and the tenth white farmer killed since militants began often violent occupations of white-owned land two years ago.

Ford had tried to escape an attack by driving through a fence after seeing a car blocking his main gate.

"He failed to drive through the fence and that is when he was dragged out of the car, bound to a tree and was shot through the head," Freeth told Reuters.

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Another CFU spokesperson Jenni Williams said Ford had called for help from police and neighbours during the night, saying he was being attacked by government-backed settlers on his farm.

Police reported his death around dawn.

"There is great concern that there has been more activity in the last week in terms of evicting farmers and looting homes" across the country, Williams said.

Since Mugabe was declared the winner in the controversial elections last week, white farmers have reported an upsurge in violence in farming districts.

South African President Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived in Harare on Monday and met Mugabe at the State House mansion to discuss the election and the future of Zimbabwe after two years of widespread violence blamed mainly on ruling party militants. (read full story)

White farmers have been accused of providing transport and logistical backing for Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Tsvangirai was the main threat to Mugabe's 22-year rule.

Ruling party militants have occupied more than 1,700 white farms, and the government has announced plans to nationalise about 4,500 white-owned properties for redistribution to landless blacks.