Zimbabwe land grabbers

The few remaining white farmers in Zimbabwe have complained of a step-up in harrassment to get them off their properties.

The commercial farmers have reported they are encountering violence from locals and officials who want them off the land.

In the latest surge in farm seizures since the Zimbabwean government embarked on its so-called land-reform program nearly 10 years ago, farmers have had to protect themselves against the dangers of arson and attacks from men known in local communities.

Workers on white farms have recently been assaulted with some injured people turning up at hospital with fractured skulls and broken feet.

White farmers normally pay their workers around US$40 per month and also provide food rations, health care and schooling.

President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party started to target white farmers and farm workers in 2000, after votes for the party declined in the farming areas.

The Mugabe government claimed that as the land had been taken illegally from black Zimbabweans they should be taken back.

The white farmers purchased their land under a title system set up by colonial Britain 100 years ago.

Critics say the land seizures are largely responsible for the collapse of agriculture in the past decade with the eviction of black farm workers being a major factor in the country's 90 percent unemployment rate.

Some of the seized farms are now controlled by the families of Mr Mugabe and ZANU-PF leaders.

Mr Mugabe's power sharing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai opposes the farm seizures.