Zimbabwean white farmers lose R2 billion claim in ...

Zimbabwean white farmers lose R2 billion claim in SA Constitutional Court

**Constitutional-Court of South Africa**

Zim Now Writer

Twenty-five Zimbabwean white farmers and companies who lost land during Zimbabwe’s land reform programme have had their almost R2 billion in damages claim at the Constitutional Court of South Africa dismissed.

The ruling was issued on Monday and cited the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Initially, the Sadc Tribunal had ruled against the treatment of the dispossessed white farmers, but unfortunately, the regional tribunal was dissolved in 2011, leading to the farmers seeking relief in South African courts.

Former South African president, Jacob Zuma, supported the dissolution of the tribunal.

The farmers argued that both Zimbabwe and South Africa were obliged to uphold the decisions of the Sadc Tribunal under the Sadc Treaty.

However, the South African Constitutional Court deemed the matter time-barred, thus denying the farmers their claim for damages.

The farmers lost their land at the height of the land reform at the turn of the millennium when the country embarked on its fast-track land reform programme.

The programme was aimed at resettling the landless black population on land that was owned by the minority whites.

As at 2000, whites, who constituted about 0.6% of the population, owned 51% of prime agricultural land, while Africans owned 22% largely infertile land. The remaining 27% was State land.