Zim-boer wag in SA om te kyk wat plaasbesetters doen
2010-04-24 23:30
Mnr. Ian Ferguson, ’n Zimbabwiese boer, bly voorlopig in Pretoria sodat die regering nie ’n dagvaarding aan hom kan bestel om sy plaas af te vat nie. Sy plaas is verlede week deur oorlogsveterane oorgeneem. Foto’s: Alet Pretorius
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ccoetzee@rapport.co.zaDit is soos ’n kaartspel, sê mnr. Ian Ferguson (74), wie se plaas in Zimbabwe afgevat is. Hy en sy gesin probeer nou die howe in Bulawayo nader om die sowat 14 “militante” van sy plaas af te skop.Sy seun, Arthur, het Vrydag ’n prokureur in Zimbabwe se tweede grootste stad gaan spreek om te kyk hoe hulle ingevolge die wet van die besetters op die Denlynian-wildbewaringsplaas ontslae kan raak. Hulle wil ook ’n hofbevel bekom wat dit duidelik maak dat alle wild en bates op die plaas steeds aan Ferguson behoort.Die plaas is sowat R93 miljoen werd en Ferguson sr. spog “dit het die grootste konsentrasie wild in Zimbabwe”.Ferguson jr., wat op die Benfer-sitrusplaas naby die wildplaas boer, is verlede week in die tronk gegooi toe hy die polisie om hulp wou vra. Hy is ’n dag later vrygelaat.“Ek voel soos ’n gevangene. Ek kan nie nou teruggaan Zimbabwe toe nie,” het Ferguson sr. verlede week in sy woonstel in Lynnwood Glen, Pretoria, gesê.Hy het ’n Zimbabwiese paspoort, maar is in Suid-Afrika gebore en het verblyfreg hier.Ferguson het onlangs na Suid-Afrika gekom vir ’n heupvervanging in Durban. Sy plaas is in sy afwesigheid oorgeneem.Die besetters het in ’n Zanu-PF-bakkie op die plaas opgedaag. ’n Minister en ’n provinsiale goewerneur is glo betrokke.Ferguson sr. se plaas is ook in 2002, 2003 en 2006 ingeval, maar hy kon toe dié pogings afweer.Volgens hom is daar in 2007 ’n uitsettingsbevel aan hom bedien.“Ons het net een kyk daarna gegee en nie iets daaroor gesê nie, want volgens ons was dit ’n vervalsing. Dit het geen datumstempel gehad nie,” sê hy.Volgens hom moet die regering jou dagvaar voordat jy wettig van jou plaas ontneem kan word.Ferguson sr. is aangeraai om vir eers nie na Zimbabwe terug te keer nie om te verhinder dat die dagvaarding aan hom bestel word.Hy besit die plaas al meer as 24 jaar lank en internasionale jagters stroom jaarliks na sy plaas.“Ons moes vanjaar hul deposito’s terugbetaal.“Nie net ons nie, maar ook die land verloor hierdeur baie buitelandse inkomste,” sê hy.Volgens Ferguson is sy grootste vrees dat die plaasbesetters die plaas plunder en hulle “30 jaar terugsit”.“Dit maak my dood. Ons hele familie. Jy kan nie glo watter impak dit het nie… Maar daar is baie boere wat slegter daaraan toe is as ek, want ek het steeds die sitrusplaas.”
Mnr. Ian Ferguson, ’n Zimbabwiese boer, bly voorlopig in Pretoria sodat die regering nie ’n dagvaarding aan hom kan bestel om sy plaas af te vat nie. Sy plaas is verlede week deur oorlogsveterane oorgeneem. Foto’s: Alet Pretorius
Foto's · Lesersfoto’s · Nuus in Foto's Stuur vir ons jou foto's · Stuur vir ons jou foto's
ccoetzee@rapport.co.zaDit is soos ’n kaartspel, sê mnr. Ian Ferguson (74), wie se plaas in Zimbabwe afgevat is. Hy en sy gesin probeer nou die howe in Bulawayo nader om die sowat 14 “militante” van sy plaas af te skop.Sy seun, Arthur, het Vrydag ’n prokureur in Zimbabwe se tweede grootste stad gaan spreek om te kyk hoe hulle ingevolge die wet van die besetters op die Denlynian-wildbewaringsplaas ontslae kan raak. Hulle wil ook ’n hofbevel bekom wat dit duidelik maak dat alle wild en bates op die plaas steeds aan Ferguson behoort.Die plaas is sowat R93 miljoen werd en Ferguson sr. spog “dit het die grootste konsentrasie wild in Zimbabwe”.Ferguson jr., wat op die Benfer-sitrusplaas naby die wildplaas boer, is verlede week in die tronk gegooi toe hy die polisie om hulp wou vra. Hy is ’n dag later vrygelaat.“Ek voel soos ’n gevangene. Ek kan nie nou teruggaan Zimbabwe toe nie,” het Ferguson sr. verlede week in sy woonstel in Lynnwood Glen, Pretoria, gesê.Hy het ’n Zimbabwiese paspoort, maar is in Suid-Afrika gebore en het verblyfreg hier.Ferguson het onlangs na Suid-Afrika gekom vir ’n heupvervanging in Durban. Sy plaas is in sy afwesigheid oorgeneem.Die besetters het in ’n Zanu-PF-bakkie op die plaas opgedaag. ’n Minister en ’n provinsiale goewerneur is glo betrokke.Ferguson sr. se plaas is ook in 2002, 2003 en 2006 ingeval, maar hy kon toe dié pogings afweer.Volgens hom is daar in 2007 ’n uitsettingsbevel aan hom bedien.“Ons het net een kyk daarna gegee en nie iets daaroor gesê nie, want volgens ons was dit ’n vervalsing. Dit het geen datumstempel gehad nie,” sê hy.Volgens hom moet die regering jou dagvaar voordat jy wettig van jou plaas ontneem kan word.Ferguson sr. is aangeraai om vir eers nie na Zimbabwe terug te keer nie om te verhinder dat die dagvaarding aan hom bestel word.Hy besit die plaas al meer as 24 jaar lank en internasionale jagters stroom jaarliks na sy plaas.“Ons moes vanjaar hul deposito’s terugbetaal.“Nie net ons nie, maar ook die land verloor hierdeur baie buitelandse inkomste,” sê hy.Volgens Ferguson is sy grootste vrees dat die plaasbesetters die plaas plunder en hulle “30 jaar terugsit”.“Dit maak my dood. Ons hele familie. Jy kan nie glo watter impak dit het nie… Maar daar is baie boere wat slegter daaraan toe is as ek, want ek het steeds die sitrusplaas.”
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Mugabe, the land baron
Zimbabwean president is now one of the country's biggest landowners
Mugabe, the land baron
Zimbabwean president is now one of the country's biggest landowners
Apr 25, 2010 12:00 AM By Own correspondent
President Robert Mugabe is one of the biggest landowners in Zimbabwe. A Sunday Times investigation has found that he and his family own at least 10 farms through Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd.
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DEFEATED: President Robert Mugabe Picture: REUTERS
Grace's farm managers arrived without warning at 7am, and told him to cease farming and move out Jacob Zuma
Gushungo is Mugabe's clan name.
The company owns 10601ha of fertile land in the country's northern regions.
The Commercial Farmers' Union says that of the original 4500 large-scale white commercial farms, only 300 remain.
Mugabe and his family acquired a significant chunk of that farmland.
In 2008 - eight years after the land reform programme started - Mugabe's wife, Grace, grabbed Gwina Farm in Banket from high court Judge Ben Hlatshwayo.
He tried to fight her in the courts, but withdrew under intense political pressure - not before he had exposed Mugabe and his family as multiple farm- owners, in violation of government policy.
He revealed that the family, through Gushungo Holdings, owned Mazowe, Sigaro, Leverdale and Bassiville farms.
He eventually lost Gwina Farm to Grace Mugabe in dramatic fashion. He was forced out and promised another farm in an estate owned by the state-run Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Transau, in Mutare.
When that failed to materialise, he moved into Kent Estate, in Norton, on land owned by Ariston Holdings.
Before being thrown out by Grace, he filed a high court application suing Gushungo Holdings - which Grace used for the takeover - and former state security minister Didymus Mutasa, who was then also minister of lands. Mutasa is now presidential affairs minister in the president's office.
In his court application, signed on November 6 2008, Judge Hlatshwayo, a Harvard University-trained lawyer and former lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said Grace's actions were illegal and the court should stop her.
"I have been in quiet, undisturbed, peaceful possession, occupation and production at Gwina Farm from December 2002 until October 19 2008," he said.
He said Grace's farm managers arrived without warning on Sunday October 19 at 7am, and told him to cease farming and move out.
Before leaving, they said he would get further details from Mutasa or senior ministry officials.
He immediately contacted his superiors, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku and justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, who said he should find out more because it could have been the "work of conmen".
When he got in touch with Mutasa, his worst fears were confirmed: Grace Mugabe wanted the farm.
Grace began to put more pressure on him, sending her farmworkers to measure and peg his land.
In the end, he was forced to withdraw his court application, and Grace got her way, adding one more property to Gushungo Holdings' growing list of farms.
Commercial Farmers' Union officials say Mugabe's family owns even more farms. These include the 1000ha Foyle Farm, grabbed from Ian Webster.
It was renamed Gushungo Dairy and was recently involved in a dispute with Swiss company Nestlé over a milk deal.
The family also owns the 1046ha Iron Mask Farm, taken from John Matthews by Grace under the pretext of establishing an orphanage.
Judge Hlatshwayo is not the only black farmer who has lost out to the Mugabes.
Standard Bank CEO Washington Matsaire lost his 1200ha Gwebi Wood Farm to them.
The Mugabes also grabbed 1488ha Leverdale Farm from Piers Nicolle.
Mugabe's personal farm, Highfield, in Norton, is 445ha.
Farmers in the area say all nearby farms were taken to create a ''security buffer zone" for the president, leaving him effectively controlling 4050ha.
President Robert Mugabe is one of the biggest landowners in Zimbabwe. A Sunday Times investigation has found that he and his family own at least 10 farms through Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd.
Current Font Size:
DEFEATED: President Robert Mugabe Picture: REUTERS
Grace's farm managers arrived without warning at 7am, and told him to cease farming and move out Jacob Zuma
Gushungo is Mugabe's clan name.
The company owns 10601ha of fertile land in the country's northern regions.
The Commercial Farmers' Union says that of the original 4500 large-scale white commercial farms, only 300 remain.
Mugabe and his family acquired a significant chunk of that farmland.
In 2008 - eight years after the land reform programme started - Mugabe's wife, Grace, grabbed Gwina Farm in Banket from high court Judge Ben Hlatshwayo.
He tried to fight her in the courts, but withdrew under intense political pressure - not before he had exposed Mugabe and his family as multiple farm- owners, in violation of government policy.
He revealed that the family, through Gushungo Holdings, owned Mazowe, Sigaro, Leverdale and Bassiville farms.
He eventually lost Gwina Farm to Grace Mugabe in dramatic fashion. He was forced out and promised another farm in an estate owned by the state-run Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Transau, in Mutare.
When that failed to materialise, he moved into Kent Estate, in Norton, on land owned by Ariston Holdings.
Before being thrown out by Grace, he filed a high court application suing Gushungo Holdings - which Grace used for the takeover - and former state security minister Didymus Mutasa, who was then also minister of lands. Mutasa is now presidential affairs minister in the president's office.
In his court application, signed on November 6 2008, Judge Hlatshwayo, a Harvard University-trained lawyer and former lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said Grace's actions were illegal and the court should stop her.
"I have been in quiet, undisturbed, peaceful possession, occupation and production at Gwina Farm from December 2002 until October 19 2008," he said.
He said Grace's farm managers arrived without warning on Sunday October 19 at 7am, and told him to cease farming and move out.
Before leaving, they said he would get further details from Mutasa or senior ministry officials.
He immediately contacted his superiors, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku and justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, who said he should find out more because it could have been the "work of conmen".
When he got in touch with Mutasa, his worst fears were confirmed: Grace Mugabe wanted the farm.
Grace began to put more pressure on him, sending her farmworkers to measure and peg his land.
In the end, he was forced to withdraw his court application, and Grace got her way, adding one more property to Gushungo Holdings' growing list of farms.
Commercial Farmers' Union officials say Mugabe's family owns even more farms. These include the 1000ha Foyle Farm, grabbed from Ian Webster.
It was renamed Gushungo Dairy and was recently involved in a dispute with Swiss company Nestlé over a milk deal.
The family also owns the 1046ha Iron Mask Farm, taken from John Matthews by Grace under the pretext of establishing an orphanage.
Judge Hlatshwayo is not the only black farmer who has lost out to the Mugabes.
Standard Bank CEO Washington Matsaire lost his 1200ha Gwebi Wood Farm to them.
The Mugabes also grabbed 1488ha Leverdale Farm from Piers Nicolle.
Mugabe's personal farm, Highfield, in Norton, is 445ha.
Farmers in the area say all nearby farms were taken to create a ''security buffer zone" for the president, leaving him effectively controlling 4050ha.
