Wheat theft dispute

Sibanda and Bekithemba Mafengu, both Ndlovu’s neighbours at a four-hectare farm in Plot 02 of Lot A, Mandalay Farm in Nyamandlovu, told The Zimbabwean that they filed a joint report of theft against the war veteran in November last year, but he is yet to be arrested by the police.
“He is there at his house in Nkulumane but police have not yet arrested him. All they tell us is that they are still investigating the case and we have lost all hope of recovering anything from him. I think he is using his influence as a member of the ruling party,” said Mafengu this week.
The two men said they shared a diesel engine with Ndlovu to draw water for use in irrigating their crops. Last year they used the war veteran’s diesel, with his consent, to irrigate their crops. When he wanted it back, they could not source any diesel.
“We offered to give him money so that he could try and buy it himself, but he refused. One day in November he took a combine harvester and harvested our wheat, which he later sold to the GMB. When we asked him why he had done that, he said he was trying to recover his diesel, whose price was way below that of the wheat he stole from us,” said Sibanda.
Police sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed they had received such a report but received orders from above not to arrest Ndlovu.
Police spokesman for Bulawayo, Inspector Shepherd Sibanda refused to comment. – Bayethe Zitha