Johannesburg (AFP)
South Africa seized an Airbus from the national airline Air Tanzania for unpaid $ 33 million claimed by a farmer whose land was nationalized in the 1980s, said his lawyer Dimanshe.
The flight of Air Tanzania, which connected Dar-es-Salam to Johanneburg, was seized Friday at OR Tambo Internatial airport upon landing.
Werksmans Attorneys attorney Roger Wakefield said the seizure follows a ruling by the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday. The device is estimated at about $ 90 million, according to him.
The Tanzanian government had in the 1980s nationalized land held by a landowner who was producing bean seed-- seizing all equipment, including light vehicles and planes.
The owner, a Tanzanian born in Namibia whose identity was not disclosed, obtained compensation in the 1990s of a projected $ 36 million, but the government paid him only $ 20 million.
With accumulated interest on arrears, the missing $ 16 million has grown over the years to $ 33 million, according to the international lawyer.
The farmer was later banned in Tanzania for baseless reasons, according to his lawyer, and has since been living in a country in East Africa.
The Tanzanian Ministry of Transport has confirmed the seizure of the aircraft and said in a statement, work to lift the seizure so that he can resume his flights.
© 2019 AFP