A South African magistrate has thrown out a bid by 300 Zimbabwean farm workers who sought to recover 1.6 million rand, just about 117,000 dollars, from a Limpopo farmer. The workers accused the farmer of underpaying them for the last 10 years. Mr Van der Walt and nine other top managers had been dragged to court for assault and kidnapping of the Zimbabweans, but was freed after witnesses failed to show up several times at the courts. 36 of the witnesses failed to attend the trial when that country's Home Affairs Department deported them under the guise that they would be called when the trial resumes. The farmer was accused of forcing the Zimbabweans to work from 6 am to 11 pm, and paying them 70 rand instead of the government-stipulated 103 rand for an eight hour-shift per day
