Ministers and other top Zimbabwean government officials traveled to Mashonaland West province on Friday on orders from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to investigate ongoing invasions of white-owned commercial farms in Chegutu district.
Mr. Tsvangirai named the panel on Thursday after failing to engage President Robert Mugabe in a high-level discussion of the commercial farm takeovers which Mr. Mugabe has endorsed as the culmination of the land reform program he launched in 2000.
The prime minister, who shares power with Mr. Mugabe in a national unity government formed in February, says the farm invasions tell the international community that the rule of law has not been restored in Zimbabwe, hindering efforts to fund economic recovery.
Correspondent Thomas Chiripasi of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe followed the delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to Chegutu farms under siege.
