Foreign Affairs Minister Prof Palamagamba Kabudi says the plane had been prevented from taking off, pending a suit by South African farmer Hermanus Steyn, who is demanding compensation for his land, which was seized by the government in the 1980s.
A senior Tanzanian government official on Saturday said a jet belonging to national carrier Air Tanzania has been impounded in Canada.
Foreign Affairs Minister Prof Palamagamba Kabudi said the plane had been prevented from taking off, pending a suit by South African farmer Hermanus Steyn, who is demanding compensation for his land, which was seized by the government in the 1980s.
“We defeated him in Court in South Africa, he then appealed, but we won the case. This time he demanded the Canadian authorities impound our Bombardier Q400 but we are ready for the battle,” said Prof Kabudi.
The plane had been scheduled to arrive in Tanzania before the end of November.
This is the second time an ATCL plane is being impounded over Mr Steyn’s case. In August, South African authorities seized it's Airbus 220-300 jet ,following a court order after Mr Steyn argued that the Tanzanian government owed him $33 million in compensation.
Prof Kabudi, who was speaking at a ceremony to swear in new Tanzanian ambassadors to Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Burundi, Egypt and Abu Dhabi at the State House in Chamwino, said Dar es Salaam had recalled its envoy in Canada to explain the development.
In November 2017, President John Magufuli wrote to the Canadian Prime Minister in regard to the seizure of another Bombardier Q400 Tanzania-owned aircraft.
The plane had been held after the Tanzanian government failed to pay $38 million owed to United Kingdom Stirling Civil Engineering Ltd due to a contractual dispute.
The British firm had won the tender to construct the Wazo Hill-Bagamoyo road but the government terminated the deal without paying compensation.
As a result, the firm sued Tanzania at the International Court of Arbitration in Montreal Canada.
The plane was later released but no details were revealed on what terms were entered between the two parts for the plane release.
