PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki of South Africa is being sued by a white farmer who has been battling eviction from his farm in Zimbabwe.
The farmer Crawford von Abo is taking President Mbeki, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa to court to force the government to ratify a treaty that protects South African investments abroad, or pay him R80m in compensation.
Von Abo gave up his battle with the Zimbabwe government after for six years. He wanted the lost farms to be restored to him.
He bought the farms in the 1950s until he was arrested in 2002 for contravening Zimbabwe’s Land Acquisition Act by refusing to leave his farm.
At the time he owned only one farm, Fauna, 100km north of Beitbridge.
A recent press report said: “Von Abo is to bring an urgent application this week to compel the government to legalise the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) — a mediation facility set up by the World Bank to protect foreign investment in 144 member countries. Von Abo is asking as an alternative for the government to compensate him for the land he lost.”
If he manages to get compensation, this case could set a precedence for future judgments and could open a floodgate of prosecutions by South African white farmers.
The South African Law Commission recommended a few years ago that SA adopt the ICSID and give it legal status.
This would protect companies with business interests abroad.
At least 42 African countries, including Zimbabwe, are signatories.
Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Andries Botha said that in 2002 the DA had handed the names of more than 120 South African citizens who lost farms in Zimbabwe to the South African government, but little was done to assist them.
He said the party asked again last year what was being done to assist citizens who lost farms but had yet to get a definitive reply.
In 2002, the foreign affairs department insisted it had intervened when Von Abo was arrested and had “raised the matter with Zimbabwean authorities, including the principal of lands”.
Business Day/Zimbabwe Guardian
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READER OPINIONS
Omugabe • dziva@sanandresano.com Subject: Africa for Africans -- LOOK INWARD & 'LOOK EAST' ZIM PATRIOTS Tue, 06 May 2008 17:10:14 • This is one of those inane issues that are so nonsensical that they deserve no time-wasting response.
We are sure that assistants to Zuma and Mbeki would not waste their time by bringing this devilish and delusional attention-seeker to the notice Mbeki and Zuma.
Any judge in Africa foolish enough to entertain the suit of this CRIMINAL invader, should be cast out of the judicial system instantly. Unless of course the judge would confine him for having STOLEN African lands in the first place, then he would be a wise judge.
Alert Africans will AGAIN learn the high cost of not dealing firmly with the European criminal invaders, robbers, rapists, murderers, colonizers and sodomizers in their midsts.
By not dealing firmly with the beastly European thieves, these virtue-less criminals are inclined to delude themselves that they have legitimacy in Africa, and legitimate clam to things African. THEY DO NOT!
This idiotic attention-seeker should be glad he was forced to give up only his STOLEN African lands.
This dumb criminal should be thankful that he has life, health and speech. Most criminals aren't as fortunate.
As for the teaching of Zimbabwe's children, the wise and magnanimous visionary, Mugabe, is already doing more than a marvelous job teaching African children.
Africans who mindlessly allow themselves to be MIS-educated by virtue-less Europeans become lost, self-hating, self-destructive, treasonous and traitorous.
What can the beastly Europeans 'teach' anyone but to be beastly like themselves?
What can the beastly Europeans teach anyone but to be invaders, robbers, rapists, murderers, colonizers, sodomizers, etc?
Those without common human virtues should not be allowed to 'teach' anyone!
RAVING WHITE COW, SUSSEX • na Subject: IS THIS HOW ITS DONE, FUNAGALO - VON ABO? Mon, 05 May 2008 22:47:23 • O Come on OMugabe - now is your chance, but where are you?
Have you passed out in shock cos this idiot even thinks he can even win such a case? Unreal!
Us faithful Zimmie-groupies of yours are all waiting for you to put pen to paper, and have your say. Please note, he even had more than ONE farm?
ishaw...
You will be relieved to learn that although I am white and born in ZW I never had the privilege of owning a farm. Am still in the queue, sha'. Can you arrange for me to have one of his, perhaps? (Actually, all I need is an acre at Kariba amongst the baboons. Not a WHOLE farm.) I'll even teach your kids for FREE!
chimurenga • zimbabwejohn@yahoo.co.uk Subject: Sue for land Mon, 05 May 2008 21:45:52 • Very soon they will be sueing Tsvangirai for promising what he could not deliver...................lol
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