Cape Town – The government has an obligation to protect the rights of the South African farmer evicted from land in Zimbabwe last week, civil rights initiative AfriForum said yesterday.

It said it had asked Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies to intervene urgently to safeguard the lives and property of Ray Finaughty and his family.

Finaughty, who farmed cattle, chickens and tobacco at Rusape, was reportedly given three hours by invaders to abandon his farm on Christmas Eve.

AfriForum spokesman Willie Spies said that in terms of a North Gauteng High Court order, Finaughty was entitled to protection in terms of an investment agreement signed last month by both South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“Unless assurances are received from the minister soon that steps have been taken to protect Finaughty and his family’s lives and property, AfriForum will go ahead with urgent legal action to ensure this,” Spies said. “It is a tragedy that innocent South African citizens are subjected to this kind of harassment just before Christmas.”

Finaughty and his family are reportedly safe in Harare.

A website said though he had handed over part of his farm for the government’s land reform programme a senior Reserve Bank employee had tried to seize the rest in 2007. – Sapa