Windhoek - On Thursday a regional tribunal based in Namibia halted the eviction of a 70-year-old black Zimbabwean commercial farmer by the government in Harare.Luke Tembani became one of Zimbabwe’s first black commercial farmers
shortly after independence in 1980, but faced eviction on May 21 after
the national agricultural bank sold his farm to recoup a loan.
Documents filed with the tribunal of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) said that the farm had been sold in 2000, without any
court hearings, even though he was still living on it.
Tembani can stay on his farm
The judges in Windhoek ruled that Tembani can stay on his farm until
the tribunal makes a ruling on the case, with the next hearing set for
June.
"No interference may take place with the farmer’s peaceful stay on the
farm," Justice Ariranga Pillay ordered. "Nor may any eviction happen
until the application is heard and determined."
Zimbabwe had objected to the hearing
Zimbabwe had objected to the hearing and has yet to reply in the case.
Tembani, who did not attend the hearing, had taken a loan more than a
decade ago from the Agricultural Bank of Zimbabwe (ABZ) to expand his
operations.
According to court documents, he defaulted on part of his repayments
when interest rates soared in 1997, when Zimbabwe’s economic crisis
unfolded.
"ABZ could not give Tembani exact figures on the money he owed as he
wanted to sell off a small portion of his farm to clear the loan, which
was approved," his court application said.
Mugabe embarked on a violent and chaotic scheme
The problems emerged as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was
embarking on a violent and often chaotic scheme to resettle black
farmers on white-owned lands.
The SADC tribunal in November ruled against the land reforms, saying 78
white farmers could keep their land because the scheme amounted to
racial discrimination. Mugabe’s government rejected the ruling, but the
new unity government says it wants to resolve the problems on the farms.
After the land reforms, Zimbabwe’s agricultural production plunged. Now
more than half the population depends on international food aid for
survival.
News24/SAPA
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