Desperate appeal to SA government over land attacks
By Alex Bell
04 August 2010
A South African farming family in Zimbabwe has made a desperate appeal to
Jacob Zuma’s government to intervene in a worsening invasion of their
property.
Philip and Ellen Hapelt from Grasslands Farm in Somabhula have been fighting
for several months to hold on to their property, which has caught the eye of
MP Jabulani Mangena. Mangena has led a campaign of harassment, vandalism and
violence against the Hapelts and their workers, claiming he has an offer
letter entitling him to the property. Late last year, the Hapelts were
brutally beaten by a gang of thugs, in an attack the family believes was
meant to drive them from their farm.
The Hapelts many years ago voluntarily gave up the majority of their land
for the sake of ‘reform’, under an agreement that would allow them to remain
on their homestead with a small portion of farming land. They also have two
Court orders that entitle them to live on the farm without fear of invasion
or persecution. But Mangena is openly disregarding the Courts and has even
threatened the Hapelts with more violence if they approach the courts again.
Philip Hapelt is a South African citizen and he and his family have made
numerous appeals to the South African High Commission to intervene on their
behalf. Hapelt’s daughter Lauren told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that
their pleas have been to no avail, explaining how the situation on her
parent’s farm is worsening on a daily basis.
“This is a terror campaign against my parents who are elderly, and time is
really running out for them,” Lauren said.
Lauren has written yet another letter to the High Commission in a desperate
plea for assistance, but she said on Wednesday that the South African
government’s lack of action has been “abysmal.”
“South Africa is in a strong position to bring pressure on the Zimbabwean
government to stop this gangster like behaviour,” Lauren said. “It isn’t an
unreasonable request to ask them to protect their citizens and honour their
obligations.”
The South African government has come under fire for not intervening on
behalf of its citizens, many of whom are facing a similar situation on farms
across Zimbabwe. This includes Ian Ferguson whose game ranch near Beitbridge
was illegally seized by land invaders said to be working for a top ZANU PF
official. Ferguson’s game has been slaughtered and repeated pleas for help
from his government have gone unanswered.
The invasions of the South African owned properties are also a violation of
a bilateral investment protection agreement between the two countries, which
Hapelt’s daughter Lauren said “is hardly worth the paper it is written on.”
The latest agreement which was signed last year, but only ratified in May,
has not been honoured by either the South African or Zimbabwean governments.
Kallie Kriel from the South African civil rights initiative AfriForum said
on Wednesday that it is outrageous that his country’s government has not
intervened. Kriel was speaking from Zimbabwe, where he has been on a fact
finding mission speaking to South African farmers affected by land
invasions. Kriel told SW Radio Africa that there has been “absolutely no
response to the pleas for help,” which he said was a serious indictment on
Zuma’s administration.
“What we can see here is that the old bond between the ANC and ZANU PF still
lingers,” Kriel said. “These past friendships are standing in the way of
justice and it is unacceptable.”