Gunning for Zimbabwe’s Cape assets
Mar 7, 2010 12:00 AM | By Karen Van Rooyen
Four Cape Town properties belonging to the Zimbabwean government could be sold off to compensate a group of dispossessed farmers.
Following a landmark ruling in the High Court in Pretoria, South African civil rights group Afri Forum is scheduled to announce details this week of civil proceedings to attach the government-owned properties.
The Pretoria High Court ruled that a Southern African Development Community tribunal finding (not “recognised” by Zimbabwe) would be registered in South Africa and that a costs order of R160 000 was enforceable in SA. In terms of the tribunal’s ruling, the farmers are protected from further persecution
and prosecution under Zimbabwe’s racially discriminatory land seizure programme.
Afri Forum, on behalf of three farmers who lost property in Zimbabwe, has identified four properties in South Africa owned by the Zimbabwe government. The non-diplomatic properties, bought for between R525000 and R1-million 15 years ago, are:
* A 154m² property in Zonnebloem, Cape Town;
* A 408m² property, also in Zonnebloem;
* A 1060m² property in Wynberg and:
* A 895m² property in Kenilworth.
Afri Forum’s legal representative, Willie Spies, said the judgment served as a “trial run towards executing any judgments against the Zimbabwean government in South Africa”.
Louis Fick, one of the three farm owners on whose behalf Afri Forum went to court, is standing trial in Zimbabwe for not abandoning his farm timeously.
If found guilty, he could spend two years in prison – along with about 150 other farmers.
The 44-year-old farmer was “slowly forced” off his property, Friedawil, where he farmed crocodiles, pigs, cattle and fish in 2007.
Another applicant, Michael Campbell, was so badly assaulted on his farm in November 2007 that he has still not recovered. His farm was razed.
Spies said the court action was not opposed by the Zimbabwean government.
The Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa referred all requests for comment to Harare, but attempts to speak to spokesman George Charamba were unsuccessful.
Deon Theron, president of Zimbabwe’s Commercial Farmers Union – and who now leases land for grazing while he lives in a city, Harare, for the first time in 55 years – had a farm taken away from him three times.
He said this week: “A ruling of this type has a huge impact on the morale.”