Thousands of Zimbabweans invaded Nuanetsi ranch between 1999-2003 at the height of the controversial Land Reform programme. They have been surviving in a land with no water, schools or transport facilities, but it is good for cattle rearing.
The land was a Government Trust Land. However, early this year Mugabe awarded the vast area, that is three times the size of Malawi, to Rautenbach who runs a company called Saboth.
According to Bikita MP Festus Dumbu thousands of the land invaders are now facing eviction despite having endured hardships in the area. The awarding of the farm to Mugabes ally vindicates claims by civil society that the land reform programme that was intended to resettle landless Zimbabweans only benefited Mugabes allies.
For every farmer who has over 200 cows in the ranch the farmer is supposed to pay 24 weaning cows every four months. What it simply means is that in line with this trend every farmer is supposed to give 100 weaning cows per year. That will be enriching a foreigner in our country while impoverishing our people, said Dumbu.
Rutenbechs venture, which has the full backing of top Zanu (PF) officials including Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa and Vice President John Nkomo, is set to assemble a US$5 billion ethanol plant and venture into massive sugar cane production.
Post published in: News