The High Court (the 'court a quo') granted an application filed by the first respondent, on an urgent basis, for spoliatory relief. The appellant, disgruntled by the decision, appealed to this Court.
At the commencement of the hearing, counsel for the appellant raised a point in limine, that, the second respondent's heads of argument were improperly before the court as they were filed in support of the appeal. He thus prayed that they be struck out with no order as to costs.
Counsel for the second respondent was not opposed to the striking out of the heads of argument. As a result, an order by consent was issued striking out the second respondent's heads of argument.
There was, therefore, no appearance for the second respondent before the court.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
The first respondent is the holder of an offer letter for subdivision 6 of Braemar Farm in Seke District (the farm) under the jurisdiction of the Manyame Rural District Council. The farm was allocated to him on 17 November 2009 and is 122,540ha in extent. The farm had been gazetted on 3 September 2004 in the Government Gazette Extraordinary Vol. LXXXII, No. 72.
The acquisition of the farm by Government is still extant.
On 10 May 2022, the first respondent filed an urgent chamber application for a spoliation order against the appellant.
The first respondent alleged, that, on 5 May 2022, at around 3:00pm, the appellant instructed his workers to build a two roomed house and a surrounding wall in his cattle grazing area. The appellant proceeded to dig trenches for the wall and completed building the two-roomed house.
Upon enquiring from the appellant about the reason why he had built a structure on his farm, the appellant responded, that, he had been allocated the piece of land by the second and third respondents for the purpose of constructing a school.
The first respondent requested for a meeting with the appellant as a means to iron out the issue, but, the appellant declined to attend.
The first respondent reported the invasion by the appellant to the police, but, did not get much assistance. The first respondent, thereafter, made an application for a spoliation order in a bid to recover the portion of the farm that had been taken by the appellant.
The appellant opposed the application.
In his opposing affidavit, he raised five preliminary objections:
(i) Firstly, he alleged, that, the first respondent had no cause of action against him.
It was the appellant's position, that, he was entitled to occupy and possess the portion of the farm as it was now Stand Number 7727 Nyatsime Township (the 'Stand'). The appellant further stated, that, he acquired the Stand through a lease agreement entered into between him and the second respondent.
He further stated, that, the Stand was not part of a farm but was a planned urban settlement which fell under the jurisdiction of the Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee.
The appellant also stated, that, the land on which the first respondent was entitled to occupy was different from where his Stand was situated as evidenced by the layout plan and site plan for the area;
(ii) The second preliminary point was that the remedy of spoliation was wrongly sought. It was the appellant's view, that, any charge against the appellant should have been for trespass and not spoliation;
(iii) The third point was that the application was made using the wrong form thus failing to comply with the rules of court;
(iv) The fourth point was that the matter was not urgent; and finally
(v) That the first respondent ought to have joined the Minister of Local Government and Public Works as well as the Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee to the proceedings.
On the basis of these preliminary points, the appellant sought an order that the application be dismissed.
On the merits of the matter, the appellant denied sending his workers onto the first respondent's farm. He argued, that, the piece of land belonged to him and that he was developing it in order to build a school. He maintained, that, the first respondent was never in peaceful and undisturbed possession of the land where the appellant built his structure as such piece of land did not belong to him. The appellant further averred, that, the first respondent was mistaken in thinking that the Stand was part of his farm as evidenced by the lease agreement.
The second respondent opposed the application and raised a preliminary point, that, the application was not urgent.
On the merits, the second respondent averred, that, the gazetted land, on which the farm stood, had since been placed under the jurisdiction of the Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee as established under S.I. 211/21.
The second respondent averred, that, the Stand was allocated to the appellant lawfully with all processes duly followed.
It was also the second respondent's averment, that, the offer letter issued to the first respondent had since been withdrawn by the fourth respondent.
The second respondent thus prayed for the dismissal of the application.
The third respondent also opposed the application and raised two preliminary points:
(i) The first point being, that, there was non-joinder of the Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee; and
(ii) Secondly, that, the matter was not urgent.
On the merits of the matter, the third respondent averred, that, the first respondent failed to furnish any proof that he was in peaceful and undisturbed possession of the land occupied by the appellant. Further, that, the first respondent failed to fulfil the requirements to be satisfied in an application for spoliation.
Not to be outdone, the fourth respondent also opposed the application and raised the preliminary point, that, the matter was not urgent.
On the merits, the fourth respondent averred, that, the offer letter giving the first respondent authority over the farm was withdrawn on 7 February 2015 and the land was subsequently parceled out to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Thus, the fourth respondent suggested that the offer letter in the possession of the first respondent was null and void and therefore he had no legal right to be on the farm.
DETERMINATION BY THE COURT A QUO
The court a quo, in dealing with the application, found no merit in the preliminary points raised. The court a quo held, that, an application for spoliation is urgent by its nature and thus the application was properly before it. It also found, that, there was a valid cause of action before it as the first respondent had an offer letter in his possession which gave him a right to be on the land. It held further, that, the form which had been used by the first respondent was not the correct one but found that there was substantial compliance with the Rules. It further found, that, non joinder of a party to proceedings did not necessarily vitiate the proceedings.
With regards to the merits of the case, the court a quo found, that, the land occupied by the first respondent was a commercial farm held by the fourth respondent. As it was a commercial farm, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, the second, and third respondents. They thus had no mandate over the farm.
The court found, that, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works had no power or authority to establish or expand an urban settlement. The court held, that, the second and third respondents could not come on the first respondent's farm and impose conditions on that land.
It held further, that, the appellant had no legal basis to take the land from the first respondent as this was the sole prerogative of the President.
The court a quo noted, that, the actions by the second respondent, in issuing a lease agreement to the appellant, amounted to an exercise of authority reposed only in the President and that such actions were therefore illegal and criminal.
The court a quo accordingly found, that, the first respondent was despoiled of his farm and granted the application for spoliation against the appellant. It also ordered, that, the appellant, and all those claiming occupation through him, must vacate the farm. It made a further order, that, the appellant must remove all structures which he had constructed and refill all the trenches that he had dug on the farm.
Aggrieved by the decision of the court a quo, the appellant appealed to this Court on the following grounds of appeal;
“(1) The court a quo erred in finding, that, the requirements for spoliation were satisfied in circumstances where the 1st respondent failed to establish that the appellant was in occupation of subdivision 6 of Braemar Farm Plot thereby despoiling him.
(2) The court a quo erred in granting spoliatory relief in circumstances where there was no evidence before it that the appellant's lease agreement with 2nd respondent related to a farm and not a designated Stand.
(3) The court a quo erred in affording the relief of spoliation in circumstances where there existed material dispute of fact as to which land belonged to the appellant and which land belonged to the respondent.
(4) The court a quo erred in holding, that, the matter was urgent in circumstances where the urgency was self-created by the 1st respondent.
(5) The court a quo erred in determining, that, the appellant had a cause of action against the appellant in circumstances where they were in occupation of different pieces of land.
(6) The court a quo erred in ordering the appellant to pay costs of suit on a higher scale in the absence of evidence on record justifying such a course.”
THE APPELLANT'S SUBMISSIONS ON APPEAL
Counsel for the appellant submitted, that, the appellant had proved, before the court a quo, that, the land that the first respondent alleged to have been dispossessed of by the appellant was non-existent.
Counsel argued, that, the offer letter issued to the first respondent was withdrawn by the fourth respondent, and, as such, he had no legal right to occupy the land.
He further argued, that, the court a quo ignored SI 211/21 that had empowered the appellant to use the land in issue.
Counsel further argued, that, there is evidence on record to show that the fourth respondent had informed the court that the farm no longer existed as it was now Council land.
Counsel submitted, that, the judgment in Commercial Farmers Union & Ors v Minister of Lands and Rural Settlement & Ors 2010 (2) ZLR 576 (S) made it unlawful to seek spoliatory relief for anyone who was in occupation of acquired agricultural land.
He further argued, that, spoliation cannot occur in relation to a thing that does not exist, and, hence, that the court a quo granted relief that was a brutum fulmen.
FIRST RESPONDENT'S SUBMISSIONS ON APPEAL
Counsel for the first respondent submitted, that, the issue of the withdrawal of the offer letter was raised for the first time during the hearing before the court a quo. Neither the fourth respondent nor the appellant had produced a copy of the notice of withdrawal of the offer letter.
Counsel further submitted, that, the matter had to be postponed to allow for the withdrawal letter to be furnished to the court.
He further argued, that, there was no due process to notify the first respondent that there was a withdrawal of the offer letter.
It was counsel's argument, that, the second respondent had no jurisdiction to enter into a lease agreement with the appellant over gazetted agricultural land. He maintained, that, the farm is not under the jurisdiction of the second respondent and the appellant could not legally enter into a lease agreement over that land.
Counsel thus prayed for the dismissal of the appeal.
ISSUE FOR DETERMINATION BEFORE THIS COURT
One issue arises from the grounds of appeal and the submissions made by counsel before this Court. The issue to be determined by this Court is whether or not the court a quo erred in granting the first respondent's application for spoliation.
ANALYSIS
Spoliation proceedings hail from a common law remedy which is meant to discourage members of the public from taking the law into their own hands: see Mswelangubo Farm (Pvt) Ltd & Ors v Kershelmar Farms (Pvt) Ltd & Ors SC80-22; Chiwenga v Mubaiwa SC86-20.
The remedy encourages members of society to follow due process in obtaining or acquiring any res they believe belongs to them in circumstances where they have been unlawfully disposed. The mandement van spolie is therefore a possessory remedy aimed at the restoration of possession where a party is unlawfully deprived of its prior peaceful and undisturbed possession of property.
The facts of each matter determine whether or not spoliation or unlawful disposition has occurred.
It is trite, that, in spoliation proceedings, the lawfulness or otherwise of the possession is not an issue. Spoliation simply requires the restoration of the status quo ante pending the determination of the dispute of right between the parties: see Augustine Banga & Anor v Solomon Zawe & Ors SC54-14.
The essential elements to be fulfilled in an application for spoliation were enunciated in the case of Botha and Another v Barrett 1996 (2) ZLR 73 (S) where GUBBAY CJ…, stated that:
“It is clear law that in order to obtain a spoliation order two allegations must be made and proved. These are:
(a) That, the applicant was in peaceful and undisturbed possession of the property; and
(b) That, the respondent deprived him of the possession forcibly or wrongfully against his consent.”
The requirements were further discussed in Streamsleigh Investments (Pvt) Ltd v Autoband (Pvt) Ltd 2014 (1) ZLR 736…,. The court held as follows:
“It has been stated in numerous authorities, that, before an order for mandamus van spolie may be issued, an applicant must establish that he was in peaceful and undisturbed possession and was deprived illicitly.”
See also Nino Bonino v De Lange 1906 TS 120…, where the court, in outlining the scope of the mandamus van spolie, stated as follows:
“It is a fundamental principle, that, no man is allowed to take the law into his own hands. No one is permitted to depose another, forcibly or wrongfully, against his consent of possession of property whether movable or immovable. If he does so, the court will summarily restore the status quo ante and will do that as a preliminary to any enquiry or investigation into the merits of the dispute.”
The above authorities make it clear, that, the underlying principle in an application for spoliation is to quickly restore possession and ward off self-help.
In making such an application, the applicant must show that he was in peaceful and undisturbed possession and that possession was illegally taken without his consent.
I will deal with these requirements seriatim.
WAS THE FIRST RESPONDENT IN PEACEFUL POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY
There is no doubt, that, the first respondent was peacefully minding his own business on the farm when the appellant started building on his grazing land. He was the holder of an offer letter which had been issued to him by the fourth respondent in 2009. The offer letter gave him the legal right to live and carry out farming operations on the farm. He was carrying out farming operations at that farm for over thirteen (13) years. He had set aside part of the farm for grazing his cattle.
In opposing the application, the appellant submitted, that, the first respondent could not claim that he was in peaceful possession of the farm. He argued that the first respondent's offer letter had been withdrawn, and, as such, he had no legal right to occupy the farm.
It was not in dispute, that, the purported withdrawal of the offer letter was never communicated to the first respondent as the hard copy of the notice was only provided to the court when the matter was heard. In fact, it was not part of the documents filed by the respondents a quo and the court had to adjourn the proceedings to enable the fourth respondent to produce it.
A perusal of the notice of withdrawal reflected, that, it had been issued on 27 May 2022 and was not served on the first respondent.
It was also apparent, that, the notice was issued after the invasion by the appellant on the farm had occurred.
Clearly, therefore, at the time when the appellant was building structures and digging trenches, the first respondent had a valid offer letter.
That effectively disposes of the issue of the first respondent's possession of the farm.
