Ian Ferguson, a co-owner of Manange Safaris wildlife conservancy, told The Zimbabwean that the invaders were refusing to move out and were receiving backing from the local police and a lands official.
“This is frustrating,” said Ferguson. “The highest court in the land has ordered the invaders to move out but they continue to cause havoc at Manange, aided by the police and a misguided land officer.” In 2010, the Supreme Court judged that Ferguson and his partners were the rightful owners of the conservancy and ordered the police to help eject any invaders who had descended on the property.
While the illegal settlers, comprising self-confessed war veterans and villagers, retreated at one time, they returned last October last year when the Department of Parks and Wildlife gave Manange the authority to conduct hunting activities on the land.
The continued defiance of the court order comes as the Zanu (PF) politburo has ordered that party stalwarts, who were given 25 years leases in the Save Valley Conservancy in Masvingo province, be removed in order to honour private property rights.
But the army generals and other beneficiaries who got the leases have vowed to stay put, insisting that a national land audit be conducted to determine multiple land owners.
Villagers and self-proclaimed war veterans recently forcefully invaded sugar estates in the same province, claiming they were the rightful owners of the land.
Government has arrested the invaders’ ringleaders, but some of them have declared that they will seize more estates in a move set to test President Robert Mugabe’s authority and power regarding continued farm and property seizures.
The land seizures continue even though government several years ago declared that the land redistribution programme that started in 2000 was over and no more invasions would be allowed.
Recently, the Manange settlers kidnapped a private hunter, Rudolph van de Merwe, and seized his trophy. Even though Beitbridge police attended the scene, no arrests were made.
According to Ferguson, a lands officer (name withheld) allocated 75 plots to peasant farmers last year even though the court order directed the lands department against “taking any steps to cause any person to occupy the property or to hinder or disturb the legal occupants in their occupation thereof.”
He said “it was general knowledge that the lands officer was rewarded with a gift” by one of the beneficiaries of the safari plots.
“The police, on the other hand, refused to assist by escorting the Messenger of the Court to remove the invaders. Their only apparent concern is to protect the invaders from the slightest threat, always based on lies, to the invaders.
“The invaders raid the cold-room, steal company assets, slaughter the wildlife, assault and evict the company staff without any police intervention whatsoever. The police have not instituted any investigations or prosecutions in response to our staff’s detailed statements on what should be considered a serious crime,” said Ferguson.
He added that police were refusing to accept reports on crimes being perpetrated by the invaders and his staff had been arrested for approaching them.
“This partisan behaviour by the police is of great sadness to me personally as I served as a Police Pilot for many years and was proud of my association with the Force which, at one time, was considered one of the most professional and best forces in the world,” said Ferguson.
The police and lands officer are reportedly insisting that the occupiers were given offer letters but, as Ferguson argued, “those offer letters have been declared void because they were issued after the court ruling”.
The Officer Commanding District for Beitbridge, a Chief Superintendent Majuta, has been fingered as supporting the invaders. He refused to talk to The Zimbabwean, saying he did not want to be bothered with the matter.
Post published in: News