South African farmer Crawford von Abo, arrested in Zimbabwe on Sunday, had been released and was expected to appear in court on Tuesday, the Democratic Alliance said.
”The last we heard was that he did not sleep in jail,” DA rural safety representative Andries Botha said.
”He was told he would have to appear in court this morning (Tuesday), but was not told what the charge was. He was merely told it was a ‘government charge’,” Botha added.
Von Abo, from Bothaville, owned extensive farmland in Zimbabwe and also had interests in South Africa.
He was arrested by armed war veterans, police, and members of the Agriculture Department on Sunday afternoon as he and his wife, Bibi, were visiting their Fauna ranch.
He was at the farm to assist staff who had been
”subjected to various forms of harassment by ‘war veterans’ and the authorities,” according to Botha.
Farm manager Willem Klopper was also arrested. The two men were taken to nearby holding cells.
Von Abo’s son, Pieter, said the farm was not one of those the Zimbabwean government had ordered to be evacuated.
An eviction order was issued for the farm, about 100km north of Beit Bridge, but was later withdrawn.
”All of the farms had been occupied, but not one of them legally in terms of Zimbabwe’s own new legislation,” his son said on Monday.
Von Abo Sr is a former chairman of the SA Maize Board and member of the Wheat Board.
The Foreign Affairs Department on Monday said Von Abo would be given access to the ”normal consular services provided to all South Africans arrested abroad”.
These would include visits by officials from the South African High Commission in Zimbabwe, ensuring his family members were informed of the arrest, and proper legal representation.
The high commission would remain in constant contact with the Zimbabwean authorities to find a speedy resolution to the matter, spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said.
The department was on Tuesday morning unable to give an update on the situation.
About 2900 farmers in Zimbabwe were given until August 8 to leave their homes, but about two-thirds ignored the order, Agence France Presse reported. A total of 193 farmers had by Monday been charged with defying the order.
Supporters of Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and war veterans began occupying white farms in 2000 in a campaign associated with political violence.
Agri SA on Tuesday said it had urged Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and South African high commissioner Jerry Ndou to ”protect to their best ability” the rights of South Africans being arrested in Zimbabwe.
Union president Japie Grobler conveyed condolences to farmers, their families and workforce in Zimbabwe
”who are suffering tremendously under short-sighted and unacceptable political behaviour.
”The results of these actions will not only impact destructively on Zimbabwean economy, but will lead to cascading social consequences due to starvation and population movements to neighbouring countries, including South Africa.”
Grobler said present events placed a serious question mark behind the authority and seriousness of Commonwealth leaders and the will of the African Union to honour its manifesto.
”The high expectations which friends of Africa and potential investors have regarding the praiseworthy Nepad (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) initiative will surely be detrimentally affected.”
He had ”sufficient confidence” that South Africa’s constitutional, judicial and policy set-up will prevent similar events from happening here, Grobler added.
He called on the Zimbabwean government and the international community ”even at this late stage, to offer the farmers of Zimbabwe a reasonable opportunity to continue farming in their own homeland.” – Sapa