Struggle for a better life ends in crumpled wreck

When the crumpled wreck of a van came to rest on Pakowhai Rd, Hastings, on Monday it marked the end of a father's struggle to provide a better life for his wife and four children.

Leon Oosthuizen, 44, moved to Hawkes Bay from Zimbabwe in February last year with his wife, Margie, and children Lendl, 17, Jessica, 14, Hannah, 11 and Byron, 8.

He died after the van he was driving was involved in a collision with a truck shortly after midday on Monday.

The Oosthuizens were forced to leave their farm in the Macheke area of Zimbabwe, about 120km north of Harare, after it was besieged by "war veterans" as part of President Robert Mugabe's land redistribution policy.

They faced increased violence in their last years in Zimbabwe, with a gun being held to Mr Oosthuizen's head three times.

After deciding to emigrate, the Oosthuizens bought Redskin Nurseries between Clive and Hastings - they needed to buy a business that employed two New Zealanders to get visas.

A tearful Mrs Oosthuizen yesterday said she would be unable to run the nursery on her own and she was worried the family's visas would be threatened. "If we lose the business, we'll lose the visa."

In Zimbabwe the couple leased a 1250ha farm growing tobacco, maize, soya beans, wheat, lupins and livestock. The land, which they worked from 1992 until last year, had not been farmed for 18 years before they transformed it into a productive farm. They left the farm with four years left on the lease.

They arrived in New Zealand with $80,000 after selling farm implements on the black market, and smuggling their three tractors into South Africa.

"We sold them for US$5000 [$7600]," Mrs Oosthuizen said. "It cost us hundreds to get the border guard to turn a blind eye."

Hannah said her father was loving, helpful, and hard-working.

"He always used to work so much. In the last few days he was getting so stressed out because our boiler hasn't been working. It's a very stressful time with our debt. I don't know how we will pay it now. We are trying to pay it slowly, but it's very hard," she said.

Tears began welling in the 11-year-old's eyes as she described waiting at the bus stop in Clive after school. Her father usually picked her up, but yesterday he was not there.

A family friend collected Hannah and brought her home.

"I asked him where Dad was. He didn't say anything. I said 'Is he sick?' He said, 'Yeah' in a soft voice. I just hugged him. I saw four cars in the driveway and I saw Mum's car. Then I saw everyone crying. I asked Mum what happened. She said, 'Dad is dead'," Hannah said, wiping her eyes.

"It feels so weird to know that Dad is not going to come around the corner and say, 'What are you all up to? What are you crying for?' I really miss him."

Mrs Oosthuizen, who celebrated her 19th wedding anniversary last week, said the family wanted to stay in Hawkes Bay.

"We've had so many blessings," she said. "The Kiwis have embraced us with open arms. I feel like I lived here years ago and I've just come back."

Mr Oosthuizen was returning to the nursery after delivering tomatoes to Napier when Monday's crash happened, closing the Napier-Hastings route for more than five hours as police cleared wreckage.

- NZPA