Mugabe misleads SADC

Spurred on by Mugabes disregard for the SADC Tribunal ruling on Zanu (PF) farm invasions, Chigwedere led party youth to grab part of Sable Ranch, owned by the Smit family, and Warswick Farm. He sub-divided the farms into small plots and allocated them to 150 disgruntled party youths and women. Violent land grab and distribution is in progress at the two estates along the Marondera-Murewa road.

Contacted for comment, District Administrator James Chiwaru said: Land redistribution at the farms falls under A2 and the Governors office is administering the exercise. Please contact Governor Chigwedere who will provide more details. The current land grab reportedly commenced last month when Chigwederes term of office as governor had expired. This underscored protests by two MDC factions in the inclusive government, that Mugabe breached the GPA agreement which stipulates that governors should be appointed proportionally according to the popularity of each party in various provinces.

Chigwedere continues to use government resources and authority to invade farms after his term of office expired. Whose mandate is he using to champion the criminal activities? Mugabe reserved a few commercial farms for invasion towards crucial national events, such as constitution-making and elections, to buy votes from the electorate, said a concerned senior resident,

Chigwedere could not be reached for comment as his office and mobile numbers rang without response. Sable Ranch popularly known as Bemba Farm, employed more than 700 workers and provided a ready market for Flea Market operators in Marondera. At the height of past food shortages, the farm provided affordable mealie-meal and pork meat for the entire province.

Relatives benefit

The Zanu provincial executive held an emergency meeting last week here, to discuss Chigwederes wayward behavior among other issues.

The meeting acknowledged that farm invasions led by Chigwedere mainly benefited his relatives and close allies. Allocation of Perkins Farm in Macheke among other properties to his son, Dread, was a case in point. The meeting reportedly attended by Zanu (PF) Senator for the province, Sydney Sekeramayi, Party Provincial Security Officer, Lawrence Katsiru among other party senior officials, resolved to oust Chigwedere from governorship and replace him with former governor Ray Kaukonde, said a source who attended the meeting.

Kaukonde was demoted from governorship to party provincial chairperson, after allegedly telling Mugabe at a rally held at Rudhaka Stadium before March 2008 elections, that the electorate had shifted allegiance from Zanu (PF) to MDC-T. Mugabe did not take Kaukondes observations kindly and branded the former governor a rebel. He was replaced with Chigwedere, regarded by the electorate as a failed politician.

Looting continues

Zanu (PF) youths led by Taurai Sauti and Garikayi Nyamakambo, assigned by Chigwedere to divide farms under siege into small plots are engaged in a free for all looting spree. They are selling workshop equipment and vehicle parts in Rujeko Suburb, said another source.

The youths are employed by the local authority and have since stopped reporting for council duties as they pursued party activities at the farms. They are fraudulently registered as present at work by Zanu (PF) council supervisor, Onisimo Mandimo. The youths indicated no party structure would restrain them from taking over ownership of the farms. They accused Zanu (PF) leadership of practicing double standards as they exclusively benefited from the land grab.

Officials at the District Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement distanced themselves from the land seizures. It is being done by the governors office, CIO and war veterans who are allocating plots to party supporters. Our offices would issue offer letters to people listed as land beneficiaries by Zanu (PF) agents on the ground, said an official, on condition of anonymity.

Zanu (PF) Member of Parliament for Marondera East, Tracy Mutinhiri, could not be reached for comment as her mobile number indicated incoming calls barred. The besieged farmers could also not be reached as their land lines had no ringing sound suggesting they could be disconnected. Warswicks mobile numbers had no ringing tone while Smits rang without response.