Tirivepano Housing Cooperative, composed of war veterans and soldiers and led by Albert Chitsinde, is battling Nyashadzamwari Cooperative, composed of civilians and members of the Central Intelligence Organisation.
Members of Tirivepano claim they got the disputed land in 2000 and accuse Nyashadzamwari of using Grace’s name to take over the farm.
The president’s wife has been fingered in a number of land disputes including the recent Mazowe farm saga in which she is said to have ordered the eviction of 200 families to pave way for a game park.
“They took us to court challenging that we should either vacate the land or share it with them. Mai Murindi, an executive member of Nyashadzamwari, told us that Grace and the President’s office said that we should share the land,” said one of the cooperative members who identified himself as Cde Kadidiya.
A war veteran identified as Cde Gidi said former Zanu (PF) Harare provincial chair Amos Midzi and the ousted former Lands Minister and Mbare legislator Tendai Savanhu were at the centre of the land dispute.
“We have papers for the land but Savanhu and Midzi brought some fake papers claiming that the land was not ours. They also tried to use some Zanu (PF) youths including Jimu Kunaka to evict us,” he said.
On Sunday scores of war veterans and residents held a meeting and petitioned Government to recall Midzi, Savanhu and Harare South Member of Parliament Shadreck Mashayamombe from parliament because they were engaged in corruption.
They also accused Savanhu and Midzi of rape and murder during the 2008 election campaign period.
One Mai Murindi the Nyashadzamwari housing cooperative executive could not be reached for comment but a member of the same cooperative identified as Nyamadzawo disputed the Grace Mugabe involvement allegations.
“It is not correct that these war veterans were ever told that the first lady had blessed us in this case. They are trying to craft stories. The thing is that they are greedy and they do not want to share the land,” said a member of Nyashadzamwari identified only as Nyamadzawo.
Mashayamombe said he was aware of the ongoing land dispute. “I have names of hundreds of people and war veterans who want land for residential stands in Harare South and I have since taken them to the local government ministry for action.
“What I cannot confirm are allegations or claims that the first lady has anything to do with land in my constituency. I have never talked to her about that because that is not her office. These are the local government ministry issues,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Kunaka, Savanhu and Midzi were fruitless as their numbers could not be reached.
Post published in: News