By Daniel Itai, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Tanzania. (News of The South) – A 90 seater Bombardier Q40 plane was yesterday impounded by Canadian authorities over a land compensation dispute dating back to the 1980s between a Namibian farmer and Tanzania’s government.
The 86 year old farmer filed a lawsuit in Canada seeking compensation for land he says was taken off him 40 years ago.
The plane, built by Canada’s De Havilland company, was due for delivery as part of state owned airline Air Tanzania’s fleet expansion.
In August, Air Tanzania’s Airbus 220-300 was seized at the OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa due to similar circumstances.
Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs minister Palamagamba Kabudi was very angry with the way the Canadian authorities were handling the case.
“I wonder why this person has emerged in Canada, but our lawyers are getting ready. I summoned the Canadian Ambassador to Tanzania and clearly told him that Tanzania is not happy, we are actually angry.
The person responsible for this is the same person who forced our plane to be seized in South Africa,” said the minister.
The farmer was awarded US$33 million in compensation in the 1990s but the government only paid US$20 million.
According to his lawyer, the outstanding balance of US$13 million has accrued interest over the decades and now stands at $33 million.
The minister said Tanzania had hired lawyers in Canada to defend it against the action.
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