New hope for Zim farmers robbed of their land as SCA makes landmark ruling

Farmers evicted off their land by the Zimbabwean government and then robbed of justice after SA’s participation in the termination of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) tribunal’s activities, are still hoping they will win their decades-long fight after a landmark ruling.

Zimbabwean farmer Ben Freeth said they were criminalised for living in their own homes and pushed out violently without any compensation.

“It was traumatic to see your life’s work and home being burned down and all your crops being stolen and experience the violence on workers and family,” he said.

ALSO READ: It’s time for dispossessed Zim farmers to get a land claims court

Freeth said it was difficult to leave the farm and their home to adapt to a different life living in town.

“This judgment is wonderful and it’s good to see judges who understand justice and the law. When Jacob Zuma took away our right to be heard in the tribunal and our court as last resort, it was terrible. And now it’s wonderful that an SA court says Zuma has acted against the constitution and unlawfully,” he said.

Freeth said the ruling allowed the farmers to claim damages from the SA government for taking away their last legal resort.

“We hope the tribunal will be re-established and that the SA government realise it is in the interest of all people – both in SA and Zimbabwe – to re-establish it for acting against unjust judgments,” he said.

Deon Theron was also evicted off his farms in early 2000 and said they came to South Africa for justice because Zuma closed the tribunal illegally.

“We are excited about the ruling. It’s a shame because this was not a road we wanted to take. “We approached our Zimbabwean courts which didn’t help at all.”

Theron said: “When we went to the tribunal for help, it was shortlived as former president Jacob Zuma closed the tribunals.

“We don’t know if the ruling means we will be compensated, but we are hoping for justice. At this stage, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be compensated for the farms I lost,” he said.

Theron bought three farms and turned them into dairy, cattle and produce farms.

ALSO READ: One in five young farmers plan to leave the field within the next decade – report

“And then they kicked us off because we are white, like one, two, three,” he said.

First, Theron lost the produce farm in 2000, then the cattle farm in 2004 and, last, the dairy in 2008.

Theron later relocated to Harare where he started over and eventually opened a guest house.

“We were blessed because, in South Africa, the farmers are murdered… at least I didn’t get killed.

“I may have lost everything but I didn’t lose my life,” he said.