My journey: From Mount Carmel farm (Chegutu) to Kazungula border post where four southern African countries meet: Zimbabwe/Zambia/Botswana/Namibia.

 

My goal: To ride and walk, unsupported, from Mike Campbell’s farm across western Zimbabwe to Kazungula, a journey of approximately 800km/500 miles, with my horse, Tsedeq, which means “Justice and Righteousness” in Hebrew.

 

28 November 2024 to 21 December 2024

 

Background:  Mike Campbell, who farmed in the Chegutu district of Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West province and built up a highly successful mango exporting operation, took President Mugabe to court at the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s regional court of justice, the SADC Tribunal, in 2007. The case was joined by 77 other farmers and farming organisations. On 28 November 2008, the Tribunal held that the Zimbabwean government violated the organisation's treaty by denying access to the courts and engaging in racial discrimination against white farmers whose lands had been confiscated under the land confiscation programme. The judges also held that fair compensation should be paid to the farmers by the government. In response, under pressure from President Mugabe, the SADC Heads of State disbanded the Tribunal in 2012. Ben’s initiative is to raise the profile of the need to reopen the SADC Tribunal so that all SADC citizens can have access to justice.