Judgment No. SC 22/18
Civil Appeal No. SC 291/16
ISSUES FOR DETERMINATION
[18]
Although the appellant filed a total of nine grounds of appeal, it is my considered view
that, from the heads of argument filed and the oral submissions made, only four issues
arise for determination before this Court. The four issues are the following:(a)
whether the court a quo erred in giving audience to the first respondent despite
the allegation of contempt of court having been made against him.
(b)
whether the court a quo erred in dealing with the matter as a final interdict as
opposed to spoliation.
(c)
whether the conduct of certain Ministry of Agriculture officials who encouraged
the appellant to continue farming constituted an estoppel.
(d)
the effect, if any, of s 74 of the current Constitution.
I relate to each of these issues in turn.
WHETHER THE COURT A QUO SHOULD HAVE REFUSED AUDIENCE TO THE FIRST
RESPONDENT
[19]
It is common cause that, following the issue of the provisional order, the first
respondent opposed the confirmation of that order. He denied having taken occupation
of the farm. He also denied having interfered with any farming activities or having
moved his cattle onto the land.
[20]
In its answering affidavit the appellant averred that by the time the provisional order
had been granted, the first respondent’s wife had moved three people into one of the
rooms at the staff quarters. Between 1 August and 8 August 2014, notwithstanding the
existence of the provisional order, the first respondent or his wife or other persons
8