Mike Campbell, Zimbabwean farmer, challenged Robert Mugabe (Campbell v Zimbabwe), died from complications from torture he was , 78.

 Michael "Mike" Campbell  was a white African farmer from Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia/Rhodesia) who rose to international prominence for suing the regime of Robert Mugabe of violating rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe, in the case of Mike Campbell (Pvt) Ltd and Others v Republic of Zimbabwe died from complications from torture he was , 78.. His struggle was the subject of an award-winning documentary, Mugabe and the White African.

(12 October 1932 - 6 April 2011)

Background

Campbell's family have been farmers in Africa for 300 years. He considered himself to be African.

Mount Carmel

Campbell bought the farm Mount Carmel in 1980, after Zimbabwe's independence. The 3,000-acre farm near Chegutu (Hartley), located 80 miles south-west of Harare, employed around 500 people and was a centre of agriculture, wildlife and tourism. Campbell was an early conservationist, concerned with maintaining the African wildlife.
After Mugabe's invaders took over Campbell's farm, they burnt down the safari lodge and farmstead and killed all the cattle and wildlife on the farm.^[1] Malaria they spread into the region killed 11 workers, and Campbell's pregnant daughter-in-law.^[2]Campbell's hundreds of workers lost their jobs.^[1] Campbells's farm manager and other workers were arrested and tortured by the police after they attempted to defend the farm.^[3][4]

Death

Campbell died in Harare on 6 April 2011 as a result of being severely beaten and tortured by Mugabe's thugs in 2008.^{[5][6][7][8][1]}

 

To see more of who died in 2010 click here