Zimbabwe's supreme court on has dismissed a constitutional appeal by a white farmer seeking relief from impending eviction from his farm, in doing so appearing to ignore a recent ruling from a tribunal of the Southern African Development Community.
Chegutu farmer Mike Campbell was challenging a constitutional amendment that nationalized all farmland and barred farmers from appealing seizures in court.
The decision came despite a ruling by a Southern African Development Community tribunal which barred the Harare government from evicting Campbell until a further hearing in the matter by the regional tribunal this March.
Chief Executive Officer John Worsely-Worswick of Justice for Agriculture told reporter Patience Rusere of VOa's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that a senior ZANU-PF official says he has an offer letter to take over the farm, again despite the SADC tribunal ruling.
Meanwhile, Registrar Justice Charles Mkandawiri of the SADC tribunal said that if the Harare government does not comply with the ruling the tribunal handed down, it will refer the matter to the highest level of the regional organization.
