White farmers in court fight to seize, sell Zimbabwe government properties in South Africa
By APMonday, July 19, 2010
Zimbabwe farmers want gov’t homes sold in S.Africa
JOHANNESBURG — A farmers support group says it is demanding the sale of four upscale properties owned by the Zimbabwe government in South Africa to pay legal fees for a group of white farmers who went to regional court to contest the seizure of their Zimbabwean farms.
A judicial tribunal of the Southern African Development Community on Friday ruled for the third time Zimbabwe had failed to honor the white farmers’ property rights and protect them from violence and intimidation. Zimbabwe insists it is not bound by tribunal’s rulings though it is a signatory to the regional treaty that founded it.
Willie Spies, an official of the group Afriforum, said Monday a hearing in the South African High Court on the sale of the Cape Town properties — worth more than $1 million — was postponed from Tuesday to Aug. 3.
