With President Mugabe's 90-day deadline to stop farmers farming almost upon the country, he the Zimbabwe Agricultural Welfare Trust (ZAWT) has made fresh appeals for help.

'UK farmers are or will be very busy with their harvest,' said James Maberly, chairman of the charity. 'On August 10, the 90-day deadline to stop farmers farming, set by President Mugabe earlier this year, will be reached. This will not only be a tragedy for the country, with agriculture being its most important industry, but will also be a tragedy for the individual farmers and all their dependant workers. We are simply asking the UK farming community to help the Zimbabwe farming community.

'Our aims are purely humanitarian. We would like UK farmers to make a donation, however large or small, which will support individual farmers and families and will contribute to keeping a vital part of Zimbabwean society and its economy alive,' Maberly added.

'Just £60 would keep an African farm worker and his family of five alive for 12 weeks ... in addition basic medical care and essential school fees for farm children would be covered.' The Zimbabwe Agricultural Welfare Trust (ZAWT) was set up to provide assistance for farmers and their farm workers, black and white alike. Set up in July 2001, it is a registered charity with Most Reverend Archbishop Desmond Tutu being Patron of the Trust.

Donations (of any size) would be very welcome and can be sent by cheque by post to ZAWT, P.O.Box 168, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 8WE or via the web site, www.zawt.org

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