MEDIA STATEMENT                                                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Submitted by AfriForum

22 November 2010

 

Auctioning of Zimbabwe government property in Cape Town to proceed

 

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg today ruled that the Zimbabwe government-owned property situated at 28 Salisbury Road in Kenilworth, Cape Town, is of a commercial nature and may therefore be attached and auctioned to satisfy part of the Zimbabwe government’s debts.

            Zimbabwean commercial farmers Louis Fick, Mike Campbell and Richard Etheredge attached the property in March this year following an order of the North Gauteng High Court enforcing a ruling by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal against the Zimbabwe government.

             After the attachment of four properties by AfriForum’s lawyers on behalf of the Zimbabwean farmers, a German banking group, KFW Bank Gruppe, also attached the properties and went ahead with arrangements for an auction. 

             The Zimbabwe government brought the court application against KFW Bank Gruppe as well as the three farmers.  The banking group is owed more than €40 million by the Mugabe government.

 The farmers and their workers have suffered relentless victimization and the destruction of their farms and livelihoods, despite the SADC Tribunal ruling that they should be allowed to continue farming operations unimpeded by the Zimbabwe government.

             The significance of today’s judgment is in the fact that once the Kenilworth property has been auctioned, a proportional part of the proceeds will go to the Zimbabwean farmers.

             Although their claim has been diluted as a result of the huge judgment debt enforced by the German banking group, the sale in execution will have significant symbolic meaning for the beleaguered farmers.

 

ENDS

 

Submitted by:

 

Willie Spies                                                                 

Legal representative:  AfriForum

Cell:  083 676 0639

E-mail:  [email protected]

 

For further information/…

 

 

 

 

For further information:

 

Willie Spies                                                                 

Legal representative:  AfriForum

Pretoria, South Africa

Cell:  +27 83 676 0639

E-mail:  [email protected]

 

Deon Theron

President

Commercial Farmers’ Union, Zimbabwe

Tel:  +263 4 309 800

Zim cell:  +263 912 246 233

SA cell:    +27 72 109 0125 (only works when in South Africa)

E-mail:  [email protected] and [email protected]

 

Louis Fick

Vice President

Commercial Farmers’ Union, Zimbabwe

Zim Cell:  +263 11 216 062

SA Cell:    +27 82 628 8127 (only works when in South Africa)

E-mail:  [email protected]

 

 

Note:  AfriForum is an independent initiative of the South African trade union Solidarity. AfriForum offers a forum for the constructive activation of minorities to participate in public debate and action, in order to ensure a future for all in Africa.  www.afriforum.co.za