LONDON — A Londoner forced off her 3 600-acre farm in Zimbabwe has vowed to keep the pressure on President Robert Mugabe’s regime as it admitted illegally seizing land. Report by London Evening Standard
In a landmark statement, Zanu PF party this week acknowledged for first time it had an obligation to pay compensation to Timolene Tibbett and a group of other former farmers who were victims of land-grabs — but then claimed it did not have the resources to do so.
Tibbett, whose family was kicked off their land in Macheke in 2001, said she would not stop campaigning until justice had been done.
She accused Zimbabwe’s ruling elite of siphoning millions of pounds from the country for its own use.
The Kensington-born former equestrian competitor and 10 others were promised a payout in 2009 after a court awarded more than €23,9 million (£19,3 million) to victims.
But the mother of three, who is heading a campaign by Justice Zimbabwe, is yet to receive a penny and is living in a small flat in Harlow, Essex.
Tibbett blames the stress of the ordeal for her husband Rolf’s premature death. He died in 2008 from a perforated ulcer, aged 50.
She said: “The Zimbabwean government inflicted a terrible cost on my family and many others in this illegal action.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“Our hard-fought World Bank compensation claim is yet to be paid and we will be campaigning until justice is done.”
At the Zanu PF annual conference which ended last weekend, an official report accepted that Mugabe’s land-grab campaign was in contravention of investment protection agreements taken out by the farmers.
The report stated: “The agreements require that the government pays fair compensation in currency of former owners’ choice. In this regard, the government has an outstanding payment of $16 million awarded to Dutch farmers.”
But the report went on to claim there was no money to fund the compensation.
In 2009, a World Bank international court in Paris awarded the 11 former farmers more than $16 million with an additional 10% interest for every year since the land was commandeered, taking the total amount owed to $23,9 million.
Tibbett argued that the money was available: “Reports from NGOs and MPs prove billions of dollars of diamond wealth have disappeared from Zimbabwe. At the same time Mugabe’s ministers have become fabulously wealthy.”
Campaigners are urging British Foreign Secretary William Hague not to ease sanctions on Zimbabwe when the European Union meets next year.
The group’s 11 members have also suggested that previously seized Zimbabwean assets held by the UK Treasury are used to cover some of the money owed.
