Farm Workers In Zimbabwe

Sir, - It is unfortunate that in your Editorial of December 5th you emphasise the plight of white farmers in Zimbabwe without…

Sir, - It is unfortunate that in your Editorial of December 5th you emphasise the plight of white farmers in Zimbabwe without reference to the situation of the wider population, and of commercial farm workers in particular.

For every one white farmer there are approximately 250 black workers and their families living on that farm and dependent on it for a home and an income. These workers have been equally subjected to violence and intimidation in the name of land reform, and very few have been given land on which to resettle.

If the 800 farms you refer to do actually close, it is estimated that up to 200,000 people will be displaced, causing a serious humanitarian problem. Is the fate of these people not considered newsworthy? - Yours, etc.,

Deirdre N∅ Fhloinn, Ailesbury Grove, Dundrum, Dublin 16.