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Zimbabwe: SADC Tribunal Says Government Violated Interim Order
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SW Radio Africa (London)
23 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
Tererai Karimakwenda
A regional court in Namibia has ruled that the Zimbabwean government violated an interim order issued last December, which stipulated that they would not evict any commercial farmers involved in the ongoing case, or interfere with their operations, until the case is decided.
Government sponsored thugs have since evicted some of the farmers and tortured 3 others who are key players in the case.
The ruling by the Tribunal was released on Tuesday as the 3 rival political parties in Zimbabwe prepared for talks that are supposed to lead to a resolution of the broader crisis. The judges said the finding will be reported to the SADC summit due in South Africa in August, so that appropriate action can be taken. A lawyer for the farmers told Newsreel last week that SADC has the options of imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe, expulsion or some other action. Whatever the SADC leaders decide, it will be a test of their commitment to the SADC principles, which are laid out in the SADC Charter that Zimbabwe is signatory to.
The court said there was abundant evidence that the Zimbabwe government had breached the order. Mike Campbell, the farmer who brought the original case challenging Zimbabwe's land reform policies, was recently abducted along with his wife Angela and son-in-law Ben Freeth, and severely assaulted by known government thugs. At least 6 farmers out of the 77 who were part of the case have been evicted. Others are being harassed.
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Lawyers representing the government walked out of a hearing earlier this month when the farmers handed in the application for contempt. The main case challenges the government's land policies, for being racially discriminatory. The farmers are also challenging the Constitutional Amendment # 17, which took away their right to challenge evictions in court.
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