FIGTREE farmer, David Connolly, who was evicted by one of President Robert Mugabe’s top aides, Ray Ndhlukula from his Centenary Park Farm, yesterday said he does not hold a grudge against the top civil servant and does not want him to be incarcerated for contempt of court.
Richard Muponde Senior Court REPORTER
Connolly’s sentiments come on the heels of a 90-day sentence passed on Ndhlukula for defying a court order barring him from evicting the farmer from his farm.
High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva last Thursday found the Mugabe top man in contempt of court for deliberate defying a provisional order granted in favour of Connolly.
Connolly said he did not envisage a situation where Ndhlukula got incarcerated for contempt of court, but urged him to comply with the court order.
“The order was served on him on Monday,” he said.
“I will not rush to go to the farm because the order has given him 48 hours to comply.
“The time lapses on Thursday.”
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Connolly said he would go to the farm tomorrow to see whether there was compliance with the court order.
“Remember he has 14 days to fully remove his property from the farm,” he said.
“If they fail to do so, I will then advise the Sheriff of the High Court to do his job.
“However, I don’t want him to go to jail.
“He should just abide by the law.”
Ndhlukula defied a provisional order granted last year barring him from evicting Connolly or interfering with his operations at the farm.
He went on to evict the farmer and brought his workers, farm machinery and livestock to the farm in direct defiance of the court order.
Connolly approached the court in August last year seeking a contempt of court order against Ndhlukula which was granted on Thursday last week.
In his ruling, Takuva said it should be noted that contempt of court was a serious infraction in that it struck at the heart of the rule of law and consequently those found liable must be sufficiently punished.
Connolly failed to plant at his farm where Ndhlukula has planted a maize crop.
