THE ANC Youth League in Kwazulu-Natal charges that the rural town of Underberg is the "capital city of racism".

The youth league was reacting to the death of a local man and the alleged beating of two others.

Recently, a corpse of a man was found hanging in the trees on a farm in Mgxawuzo, said ANCYL provincial deputy secretary S'boniso Duma.

In a separate case, Thabiso Molefe and Sbongiseni Maduna were reportedly assaulted by farmers - and trampled by their horses - for illegally hunting on a farm.

Duma said the youth league helped the two men open assault charges at Himeville police station.

Police confirm that a farmer appeared in court on Tuesday charged with assault.

"There is a trend here where a minority of white farmers continue to harass black people and violate their rights," said Duma.

He also said there were "whites-only" shops.

KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union's chief executive Sandy Lamarque said: "We don't encourage illegal behaviour by landowners or farmers."