Two million farm workers and their families are directly affected by the land crisis in Zimbabwe, along with the 2,900 white farmers who have been ordered by the government to leave their properties. Many millions more are affected by developing famine conditions as a result of lost food production.
These figures reveal the scale of the crisis, which is therefore not just to do with the fate of the 4,500 white farmers who up to now have controlled most of the country's commercial land. This weekend has been one of major uncertainty, following the expiry of the deadline for them to leave their farms last week. The government insists that the law will take its course. But many of the farmers are staying put in the belief that court action will deflect the evictions.
Most of them support further talks with the government to find a compromise solution involving compensation or a different approach. The economic and food crisis may also affect the government's determination to push ahead. One farmers' representative made the point that a majority of his members support systematic land reform aimed at transferring farms to the black majority. They reject the existing scheme not just because it confiscates their property arbitrarily but because it disrupts the country's entire economic system and effectively transfers the farms to close associates of President Robert Mugabe.
That, too, is the nub of the objections raised by opposition parties to the scheme. They say it is part and parcel of Mr Mugabe's authoritarian style of rule and intended to bolster it. They also expect that the catastrophic economic effects of the changes will eventually rebound on the regime. Food production and exports have collapsed as land lies fallow. The international publicity attending the crisis reinforces the reluctance of investors and aid agencies to help Zimbabwe out. Mr Mugabe is expected to repeat today his determination that the land transfer should proceed as planned. But legal challenges may disrupt these plans and some of his ministers may have second thoughts about it as they contemplate the full economic effects of the changes. For the millions of farm workers thrown out of work and the poor Zimbabweans who cannot get enough food it is a crisis of survival just as much as for the white farm owners.