HARARE - Germany has fired off a protest letter to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai after a marauding mob invaded a farm owned by a German national, in violation of a bilateral investment protection agreement between the two countries. ?
( Pictured :Violence on white – owned farms in Zimbabwe) The German embassy in Harare said in the letter to Tsvangirai that the invasion at Marcedale Farm near Figtree was unlawful and jeopardised the investment made by the German into the farm. The farm is owned by a group of shareholders of the Androliakos family, a clear majority of them holding German citizenship. Dr Maclean Bhala and Thabani Ndlovu entered the property intending to take over the farm recently. The two land invaders had already previously approached the Androliakos family presenting letters from the Ministry of Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement, dated September 30, 2008 and November 12, 2008 respectively, claiming to be the new owners of Marcedale Farm.
Marcedale Farm is a remainder of Doublevale Farm, in turn a remainder of Maritzburg Farm, in the Bulilamangwe district of Matabeleland South.? The investment falls under the provisions of the agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Zimbabwe concerning the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments signed on September 29, 1995, which came into force in April 2000. ? Once again, the German embassy notes with great concern that property rights of German nationals and their investments in Zimbabwe are put under threat, which is a clear violation of international law, the embassy said in its letter.
Despite repeated confirmations of high-ranking representatives of the Zimbabwean government about the latters intention to honour the BIPPA in full, the development on the ground so far shows few commitment to these clear announcements. The letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also copied to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, calls for the Zimbabwean Foreign Offices assistance in ensuring an immediate end of all threats to the protected German investment. Two months ago, the embassy wrote protesting the seizure of Karori Farm, owned by German national Charles Lock. The farm was occupied by soldiers acting on behalf of Brigadier Mujaji for several weeks in a bid to force the owners to abandon the land, crops, farm equipment, livestock, household property and other personal effects.
Zimbabwe has often clashed with Western governments with whom Harare has binding bilateral investment protection and promotion agreements. The government has, however, insisted that no foreigners are allowed to own land in Zimbabwe, and all land belongs to the state.
Post published in: News