Govt solves DTZ, Allied Timbers estate wrangle

The families were affected by the Russian company’s mining operations and were relocated from Charleswood Farm to Springfield Farm, which Allied Timbers claimed to own.

ATZ said it had offer letters for the state land under dispute, while DTZ argued that it was offered the land by the state.

The government, through the Manicaland provincial administrator Fungai Mbetsa, said Allied Timbers had no case against the mining company.

Mbetsa acknowledged that the estate used to be under the parastatal before the government placed it for possible allocation under the land reform programme.

He said that ATZ should seek audience with the lands ministry not DTZ since it legally acquired the land from the ministry.

“I don’t know where he (Joseph Kanyekanye) is getting that from. The land was properly allocated to DTZ by the Ministry of Lands. The land was gazetted by the ministry. I’m surprised they (ATZ) are waging wars with DTZ; their war should be with the Ministry of Lands,” said Mbetsa.

“The land was legally allocated to DTZ after it experienced challenges at Charlwood Farm where they were mining. Some families were affected by their operations and had to be moved elsewhere. The government, through the Ministry of Lands, intervened and allocated Springfield to DTZ. So Allied Timbers had no grounds for making such accusations,” he added.

Mbetsa said that ATZ went on to take the matter to court and the ruling went in favour of DTZ.

The case was brought before the Mutare Magistrate Court – case number 3657/12 – and judgment was passed on February 4, 2013 in favour of DTZ. The land was then gazetted as state land and allocated to DTZ by the Lands Committee.

DTZ public relations manager Clara Ngwenya in a statement said their operations at Springfield Farm were above board.

“The property in question is Springfield Farm in Chimanimani. We are mining in Charleswood Farm and some farmers have been affected by our mining operations. As is expected of us, we have to relocate the affected people. To be able to relocate the people we went to the District Administrator of Chimanimani and requested land to relocate the people affected by our operations. Our issue was considered and we were allocated land in Springfield Farm, gazetted state land,” she said.

However, Kanyekanye maintained that there was need to do a cost benefit analysis to weigh what was more productive – timber production or gold mining.

He said gold mining had always posed challenges in the country and there were already questions raised over the suitability of gold mining over a long period of time.

He further argued that the country’s timber plantations had been depleted over the years owing to illegal occupation. Kanyekanye said the national timber plantation hectarage stood at about 85,000 hectares and the government should not let such a small fraction be tampered with.