David Stevens was taken from his property 75 miles (120 kilometres) east of the capital, Harare, and driven into the bush.

He is the first white farmer to be killed in the on-going land confrontations involving so-called "war veterans" backed by President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party.

Approximately 1,000 farms are being occupied by the men, some of whom fought in the war for black majority rule in the former Rhodesia.

The veterans say the land was unfairly appropriated by white settlers in the days of white rule and are demanding it should be handed back to black Zimbabweans.

Five other farmers who tried to help Mr Stevens were also abducted - they were later released badly beaten.

One of them, John Osborne, witnessed David Steven's murder.

"It was unreal - these guys are not playing, they are deadly serious and out of control," he said.

Mr Osborne is being treated in hospital for broken ribs and concussion.

About 100 white families fled their farms after the incident.

Mr Stevens' wife, Maria, was not at home when he was kidnapped.

She said she discovered her husband had been taken away when she returned from a trip to Harare with their two-year-old twins.

"I was told that under no circumstances should I go to the farm and that we had been ordered never ever to go back," she said.

War veterans have vowed to continue their takeovers of white-owned farms in spite of a high court ruling that they should leave.

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