Sir, South African white farmers appear determined to follow the short-sighted example of their white Zimbabwean counterparts (report, Aug 18).

From 1988-91 I worked as a consultant for the Mashonaland Development Foundation. The white Commercial Farmers’ Union, whose members owned 80 per cent of the farmable land, rejected my suggestion that they should sponsor a black farm management training scheme. The response was: “Why? They would not understand how to farm.” They believed that the Government could not afford to take their land.

The consequence of this seemed inevitable, although one cannot condone the barbaric way in which it has happened. Some white farmers did considerably help black Zimbabweans, but they were treated with virtual contempt by their fellow white farmers.

South African white farmers have to decide whether to accept the murder of more white farmers (more than 1,500 in the past ten years) and ignore demand for parity by their black neighbours or to integrate.

On recent visits to South Africa I encountered three superb examples of black empowerment encouraged by visionary whites and hope that others will follow suit.

ANTHONY ROSEN
Stockbridge, Hants

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