JOHANNESBURG - A farmer's pressure group, Afriforum, is confident justice will prevail in a court case launched against the Robert Mugabe regime. The group believes that victory would pave the way for larger future claims.
A fortnight ago, the North Gauteng High Court reserved judgement in the court application made by the Zimbabwe Government in an effort to prevent the ruling of the SADC Tribunal in favour of the late Mike Campbell and 78 others whose farms were unlawfully taken over by the Mugabe regime.
Zimbabwe had applied to prevent the SADC Tribunal ruling that the takeovers were illegal from being enforced in South African courts.
Judgement is expected in early May and Afriforum is confident justice will prevail.
Kallie Kriel, the Chief Executive Officer, said his organisation was determined to ensure that the unambiguous message is sent to the Mugabe regime that they were not untouchable.
The Mugabes of the world have to realise that justice will prevail, even though this might happen in another country, Kriel said.
A fortnight ago, the North Gauteng High Court heard from Adv Jeremy Gauntlett, the legal representative of the farmers, that the Zimbabwe Government had recognised the jurisdiction of South African courts in the case when its legal team had stated their intention for the record to oppose the case brought by the farmers with the help of AfriForum.
At a later stage it withdrew from the case. The North Gauteng High Court then ruled on 13 January 2010 that the SADC Tribunals finding could be registered in South Africa, which paved the way for the farmers to seize non-diplomatic property of the Zimbabwean government. Steps to auction property in Cape Town made the Zimbabwean government decide to try and prevent the process at this late stage with three court applications.
Beginning in 2000, Zimbabwe embarked on a so-called land reform programme, an exercise that saw supporters of Mugabe and so-called war veterans illegally take over land belonging to mainly white commercial farmers.
The violent exercise not only saw prime land end up in the hands of Mugabe and his cronies, but destroyed commercial agriculture.
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