He focused on the redistribution of white-owned farms to landless blacks in a country that was increasingly urban and preoccupied with joblessness and falling wages.

The president said today that land would be turned over to landless blacks by the end of the month.

The government said it would cap the size of the country's farms at just under 5,000 acres and turn over the surplus property to landless blacks.

Mr. Mnangagwa said the transfer of white-owned land to landless blacks had been hindered by guarantees in the old constitution that handovers involved compensation.

Mr. Mandela agreed to protect the jobs and pensions of Government workers and provide compensation for land distributed to landless blacks.

His party sought, and did not get, stronger guarantees for compensation of property owned by whites that may be returned to landless blacks.

The government of President Robert Mugabe plans to seize nearly 5,000 white-owned farms and distribute them to landless blacks.

Mr. Natsios said the Mugabe government was not actually giving the property to landless blacks, but using it to reward loyal military officers and political cronies.

With his popularity slipping, Mr. Mugabe has revived pledges, popular among landless blacks, to redistribute the land of white minority farmers.

A government program aimed at enfranchising landless blacks, farm laborers say, is so far a bundle of empty promises.