Judgement in Zim matter to be delivered tomorrow
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Judgement will be handed down tomorrow (Wednesday 11 August 2010 at 9:00) in
Court 8B of the North Gauteng High Court on whether the Government of
Zimbabwe should be penalised with a special order for costs following an
earlier abortive urgent application brought by the Government of Zimbabwe
against three farmers assisted by AfriForum.
This comes after the Zimbabwean government erroneously lodged an urgent
application against the farmers because the Zimbabwean government was
apparently under the impression that the auction of properties in Cape Town,
scheduled for 27 July and 10 August, had been organised by AfriForum and the
farmers.
Although the farmers were the first ones to attach the properties, the
auctions were organised by German bank group KFW Bank Gruppe. Despite the
fact that the correct facts had been widely reported in the media, the
Zimbabwean government erroneously lodged an urgent application against the
Zimbabwean farmers Louis Fick, Richard Etheredge and Michael Campbell.
AfriForum is assisting the farmers in their legal battle against the
Zimbabwean government.
All three of the farmers were forcefully removed from their farms and the
elderly Mr Michael Campbell’s health seriously deteriorated after he was
brutally attacked by occupiers two years ago. He sustained serious head
injuries in the attack. His house on the farm Mount Carmel was also burnt to
ashes.
Mr Louis Fick is still being prosecuted in Zimbabwe because he allegedly did
not cooperate in the land reform programme and if he is found “guilty”, he
could be imprisoned for two years.
AfriForum’s legal representative, Willie Spies, said that it is clear that
the Zimbabwean government is randomly trying to further jeopardise the three
farmers by means of court applications. Although they were deprived of their
income by the Zimbabwean government, they have to incur excessive legal
costs to restore their rights. The Zimbabwean government, in turn, refuses
to the honour orders to pay costs that are overdue for more than a year
(including an order by the SADC tribunal).