Zim farmer loses case against SA govt
April 4 2011 at 04:31pm
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on Monday ruled against Free State
businessman Crawford von Abo, who wanted the South African government to
compensate him for farms he lost in Zimbabwe.
SABC radio news reported that the SCA set aside a judgment by a high court
that ordered the government to pay him compensation for the property he lost
during the land redistribution programme in Zimbabwe.
This was because the South African government failed to respond to his
request for diplomatic protection.
The SCA held on Monday that even though South Africa’s response to Von Abo
was inappropriate, it did not give him legal rights to financial
compensation.
Von Abo built up a large farming enterprise over 50 years in Zimbabwe, but
was left penniless after his 14 farms were virtually destroyed by land
invasions.
He had, since 2008, tried to get the South African government to take
diplomatic steps to address the violation of his rights in Zimbabwe.
In February 2010, the High Court in Johannesburg found that the South
African government had a constitutional obligation to provide diplomatic
protection and ordered that it had 60 days to take all necessary steps to
have Von Abo’s violation of rights by Zimbabwe remedied. – Sapa