HARARE, Zimbabwe (PANA) — Visiting Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili Tuesday strongly backed Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in a land crisis which has engulfed his country in the last three months.

Independence war veterans and landless peasants have invaded and occupied more than 1,500 white-owned farms in Zimbabwe in support of government demands for land reform in the country.

The Lesotho premier said he fully supported Mugabe's plans to repossess some white-owned farms for redistribution to peasants to ensure equitable land ownership between blacks and whites.

Just 4,500 white farmers own more than 70 percent of Zimbabwe's arable farmland, while the majority blacks were landless.

"The land issue is the one which underpins the liberation struggle. If it remains unresolved, we cannot speak of accomplishment of liberation," Mosisili said.

"We have watched with amazement how the international media has demonised you (President Mugabe) and in the process, the people of Zimbabwe over the land issue," he noted.