Le fermer d’origine mauricienne de même qu’un autre compatriote, Benoît Fayd’herbe, se battent depuis années pour garder leurs propriétés, soulignant qu’ils sont protégés par un accord bilatéral entre le Zimbabwe et Maurice.
La nouvelle est tombée à la fin de la semaine dernière : le fermier Benoît Lagesse a perdu en appel à la cour Chiredzi. Il réclamait de pouvoir continuer à exploiter sa ferme malgré l’ordre d’expulsion prononcé à son encontre par les autorités zimbabwéennes.
Selon le quotidien Newsday en date du mercredi 27 juin, le fermier mauricien contestait cet ordre d’acquisition obligatoire. Il estimait que cette mesure ne devrait pas le concerner en vertu d’un accord signé entre les gouvernements du Zimbabwe et de Maurice.
Selon l’Etat zimbabwéen, le fermer se refusait de quitter sa ferme malgré un ordre d’éviction qui lui avait été servi le 7 mai 2004, réclamant une compensation. Dans son jugement prononcé au début de la dernière semaine du mois de juin 2012, le magistrat Tinashe Langton Ndokera indique que les lois du pays concernant l’acquisition obligatoire sont préséance sur tout accord qu’aurait signé le gouvernement zimbabwéen avec un autre pays.
Pour le magistrat, le fermier d’origine mauricienne ne pouvait rester sur sa propriété que s’il avait été en possession d’une offre du ministère zimbabwéen des Terres, d’un permis ou d’un contrat de bail. Le magistrat a précisé qu’il était reconnu que les traités bilatéraux ne sauraient avoir préséance sur les lois votées au Parlement. Un traité, ajoute-t-il, ne fait pas partie des lois locales, sauf si cela est entériné par les législateurs.
Suivant sa condamnation pour avoir défié l’ordre d’éviction, Benoît Lagesse devra payer une amende de 100 dollars zimbabwéens et devra quitter sa ferme au plus tard le 31 juillet 2012.
Cela fait des années que les fermiers d’origine étrangère se battent contre les autorités zimbabwéennes. Ces dernières ont même rejeté un jugement de la Cour des droits de l’homme de la Southern African Development Community (SADC). Cette instance a fait ressortir que la redistribution de terres au Zimbabwe est illégale au niveau constitutionnel et « racialement » discriminatoire. Un jugement que Harare ignore. La SADC a finalement décidé de dissoudre cette cour de justice.
Des fermiers de la région de Chiredzi et de Manicaland sont également soumis à des pressions, parfois physiques, semble-t-il, parce qu’ils résistent au programme de réforme agraire de Robert Mugabe.
Rappelons qu’en mai 2011, le chef de la diplomatie mauricienne, Arvin Boolell, a rappelé que le Zimbabwe et Maurice ont conclu un accord censé garantir les intérêts mauriciens sur le sol zimbabwéen. Il réagissait alors à la remise en cause du tribunal de la SADC par le régime de Robert Mugabe, expliquant qu’un « investment protection agreement » avait été signé entre Port-Louis et Harare.
Commentaires
zimbabwe Investment Protection
what is our Foreign Minister doing to protect the invesmnets made by Mauritians in foreign countries? Its only in such circumstances that we will know how competent our ministers are.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe ce nest pas ile Maurice Alors il faut plier bagage aller plutt dans le nord vers le maroc si on aime l aventure.
Zimbabwe
You will never win this case in the Banana republic of Mugabe.He has ruined the country and destroyed the economy.He does not respect human values and he would never respect the agreement signed by the two governments.However if you wish to stay there good luck and may god bless you otherwise if you think you may start life again home is the best.
zimbabwe
quel gachis de voir l oeuvre d une vie reduite au neant grace a la betise...dans 3 ans ces fermes ne seront que des ruines et terrains vagues...
So what about us?
So, if a country's law takes precedence over treaties, does this mean that tomorrow, Mauritius can forcefully re-acquire lands allocated to let's say, JinFei and China can't do anything?
The Brits as usual
May be a little reminder and history will be helpful!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_reform_in_Zimbabwe
Iam NOT condoning the actions of that dictator Mugabe BUT there are so many families that were robbed by the Brits .
lot face de l'Eldorado..
voila ene lexemple kot pe bizin galouper ....pou sauve ou la vie. l'Afrique pas ziste Eldorado ki bcp penser..
ZIMBABWE
Being a Mauritian by birth, I sincerely feel for these farmers. BUT THEN who is going to get rid of this tyrant. OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED AS WELL...i.e White Farmers from EUROPE....and this despot in his last years is still in POWER...he has sucked his country dry......we in EUROPE are going through a financial crisis which will take years to restore and yet this despot is rejoicing....DISGRACEFUL and yet he survives....
Land in Zimbabwe
It always makes me smile when they mention a farmer "of Mauritian origin". So what ? Should they be treated any differently to any other white farmers there? I'm not saying that what Mugabe is doing is right-history will be the judge of that. Besides its been proven that the locals cannot run a farm properly or anything for that matter. Possibly because of a lack in education and years of submission to the white masters. All I'm saying is why was it ok for the Brits to kill, pillage and plant their flag on foreign land and calling it theirs and now not ok for the rightful owners to now take it back ?
From bush to farms to bush
Those farmers bought thick bush and turned it into really great farms, created tens of thousands of jobs and produced so much food that, not only they fed Zimbabwe but they exported a lot of surplus to the rest of Africa. They also spent millions of dollars to build dams to store water. Then ? Mugabe and his cronies come along and steal the farms (there is still more than enough fertile land elsewhere but... It must be developed, like the farmers did ! ), badly beating and even killing farmers, mainly for themselves - NOT to redistribute to the people - and they make a total mess of them. Example (article published on the 7th. May 2012) : Workers at a Norton tobacco farm now run by Robert Mugabes nephew Patrick Zhuwao last week held him hostage, over his failure to pay his staff for three months.
Zhuwao was reportedly held hostage hours by 115 workers at his Gwebi Junction Estate near Norton, who staged a sit in on the property. The group sang revolutionary songs and beat drums before sealing off the farmhouse exit, and demanding their money.
Zhuwao, who is the ZANU PF MP for Zvimba East constituency, reportedly climbed a fence and eventually escaped using a back exit.
So... Is the average farm worker better off or worse off now ? Nowadays, not enough food is produced for Zimbabwe itself (never mind exporting any ! ) and unemployment is on at least 70%.
The same happened to Asians under Idi Amin in Uganda. Once a lot of money and work has been invested into creating good businesses, the rogue dictators want it all for themselves.
Land THIEVES.
Did these farmers purchase these lands????? No, they were illegally seized from the Blacks. Africa belongs to the Blacks. The Whites do not have any rights to these lands. They robbed the land. Even if the Blacks do not have any education and cannot work the land, it is their choice and they should be allowed to do whatever they want with it.
Black Racist
Get Out like concerned makes rask opinions about these farmers.They did not steal the land or own it but they are running a business.They should be compensated from this corrupt regime because they are forcing these farmers to leave.Get Out is a disgrace and the racist virus in his head need attenuating .
Zimbawe
NO COMMENTS !!! just have to look all african's countries who have asked for independance & the results afterwards , education is not the real problem , only lazyness is the one
Farmer Of Mauritian Nationaity
First let me state that . Those bush land that all farmers boufgt were useless for anything .They strive their guts out to make it Productive . Since comming into power Mugabe had always been a very controversial President .No doubt about it . He Himself owned Five very big farmers that belonged to Expatriates . These Farns are not Productive any more . All farms that were confiscated and Given to the Black are still remaining idle and not productive. Zimbabwe used to export billions of Ton of corn and foodstuffs .Now has to import them on a daily basis .The Zimbabwe money is completely useless . Yet He is still clinging to Power . My Father used to work in Zimbabwe and I worked in Zambia. Today both countries are falling like a ton of bricks never seen before . Zimbabwe can be avery prosperous country again .If Mugabe and ministers are out of the picture .The sooner the better .for Zimbabwe . It is not lack of Education . But very Laziness . They do not want to work .They expect everything to fall in their hands ; Whish are possible . You have to work hard to cultivate your lands for them to produce otherwise .it will stay idle and no production..In the meantime suffer little Zimbabweans with no work and the economy of Zimbabwe will still suffer with no end in sight .