adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THE trial of a South African national Laurens Marthinus Botha, 66, charged with working illegally in Zimbabwe kicked off yesterday at the Gwanda Magistrates’ Court. Botha is charged with failure to comply with conditions stipulated under his visitor’s entry certificates granted under the Immigration Act. The State represented by Khumbulani Nyoni alleges that the Immigration Department only granted Botha authority to enter the country from South Africa between September 6, 2012, and May 17, this year, for holiday and business purposes only, but he ended up being employed as a manager at Doddieburn Ranch in West Nicholson.
Botha, through his lawyer Thamsanqa Khumalo, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Matabeleland South provincial magistrate-in-charge, Reuben Mukavhi.
“The accused admits that he was granted permission to enter Zimbabwe for purpose of business and states that in applying for the business visas that granted him authority to enter Zimbabwe, he disclosed to the immigration department that he was a businessman and that he was visiting the country on business,” his lawyer said.
“Botha will state that he holds 49 percent shares at Doddieburn Holdings Private Limited, a company that operates a safari business in partnership with the Gwanda Rural District Council at Doddieburn Farm. He is a registered investor and was visiting Doddieburn Ranch on business.”
He said Botha never assumed employment as a manager at the farm as alleged by the State.
“The Immigration Department had no legal or factual basis to charge him. Therefore, the accused will plead with this court to acquit him of these charges,” added Khumalo.
The first state witness, Ndumiso Ndlovu, who has worked for six years at Doddieburn Ranch and is currently the game farm’s supervisor said he only knew Botha as a safari operator and has never been their manager.
“I report to the RDC, campfire committee and to the accused in his capacity as a safari operator,” said Ndlovu.
Khumalo said the Gwanda RDC owns 51 percent shares in the partnership.
Prosecutor Nyoni said the State would call immigration officers to come and clarify the issue.
The trial continues on June 27.
Meanwhile, the trial of Pieter Schalk Marais, 43, another South African national who is alleged to have entered the country between July 17, 2013, and May 17, this year, for holiday but ended up taking employment as a supervisor at the same ranch gets underway today.
The pair’s trial comes two weeks after Fredrick Wilhelm August Lutzkie, 52, who runs the Doddieburn game farm, was granted bail by the Harare magistrates’ court two weeks ago after appealing a seven-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to 14 counts of aviation and immigration breaches.
Prosecutors said Lutzkie flew his helicopter several times between South Africa and Doddieburn Ranch without permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and without immigration clearance.
He crashed while leaving the ranch on May 5, buried the chopper with an excavator and left the country without informing the authorities.
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