Vile Act of Depravity
Kidnapped accountant made to drink acid

20th December 2003

The chief accountant for a British-owned tea estates in Zimbabwe's eastern mountains died early yesterday after he was abducted and forced to drink acid.

Phillip Laing, who was married with two young children, was found chained to a tree in the bush yesterday and it is not known whether he died during the night or instantly.

At least four of his co-workers from the Eastern Highlands Plantations Pvt Ltd, in the Manicaland Province, about 40 miles north west of Mutare, were also abducted and attacked with acid, according to businessmen in the province.

It is not known whether the murder and attacks were political or criminal. Police were not available for comment.

Last month, President Robert Mugabe sacked Opprah Rushesa, the governor of Manicaland province, who was accused of being too friendly to the handful of white farmers still on their land, and replaced her with Lt-Gen Michael Nyambuya, a recently retired military officer who was in charge of Zimbabwe's troops in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The province had, until the new governor arrived endured relatively less violence on the former white owned commercial farms than other parts of Zimbabwe.

The tea estates were founded by James Findlay, a Scotsman, more than 50 years ago. Mr Laing's wife flew back from Australia yesterday.

Peta Thornycroft - The Telegraph (UK)