Harare, Aug 07: The Zimbabwean government has seized 152 more farms from white landowners to resettle landless blacks, even as the embattled white farmers began an annual Congress to take stock of their future in the industry. In a notice, the agriculture ministry informed the landowners of the government`s intention to take over their farms to resettle landless peasants under its controversial agrarian reforms started in 2000.

The latest seizures bring to 252 farms President Robert Mugabe`s government has seized in two week from white farmers, who previously monopolised land ownership in the country. Last week, another 100 farms were listed for compulsory acquisition, which, under Zimbabwean law, the farmers cannot contest in court.

Yesterday`s seizures coincided with the annual Congress of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), a national body representing the interests of white farmers, which officials said would be devoted to assessing the future of commercial landowners in Zimbabwe in the face of the government`s unrelenting farm acquisitions.

CFU president Colin Cloete said: “Earlier the future of commercial farming would dominate the Congress, and accused the government of backtracking on its pledge to leave his group with atleast one farm-land each.” Bureau Report