20100402
ALLAFRICA

Harare — THE South African government has appealed against a ruling by a Pretoria High Court judge last month upholding a Sadc Tribunal judgement ordering Zimbabwe to compensate white farmers for land acquired for resettlement.

The appeal effectively stops the farmers, represented by a body that calls itself Afriforum, from attaching Zimbabwe Government property in South Africa.

Chief Director for Public Diplomacy in South Africa's Department of International Relations Mr Kgomotso Molobi on Wednesday told The Herald that they had appealed against the ruling.

Justice Garth Rabbie's ruling sought to enforce the Sadc Tribunal judgement in South Africa and white farmers were preparing to attach what they said were Zimbabwe Government properties in that country.

"The South African government has studied the judgement and it is appealing against it. However, we can't comment further because the matter is before the courts and it would be sub-judice," Mr Molobi said.

Zimbabwe's Ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo, on Wednesday said: "The whole effort by this Afriforum organisation is to push a racial agenda.

"It is a well-known racial organisation represented only by white people," Ambassador Khaya Moyo said.

"They only serve the interests of white former Rhodesian farmers who do not appreciate the land reform programme but we cannot be bound by their wishful thinking.

"This push to attach Zimbabwe Government property is absolutely nonsensical."

In a recent interview with The Herald, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa said all Government properties were protected by diplomatic protocols and could not be attached.

"Any judgement cannot be enforced and it is a matter of what the South African government would do to protect our properties.

"They cannot touch any of our properties because they are under diplomatic immunity. If they think they can get anything through the South African courts, they are just daydreaming," he said.

Online news reports on Tuesday indicated Afriforum was trying to attach three properties on the Cape Peninsula after identifying about 11 others, including four houses in Cape Town.

Zimbabwe's High Court has already refused to register the Sadc Tribunal ruling here saying it is against the national interest.

Government has said the ruling seeks to reverse the revolutionary land reform programme.