The single mother of 10 children occupied the farm house at subdivision 1 of Lot 7 Wenimbe and has reportedly turned it into a brothel for Chinese road construction workers, serviced by four of her children and an unidentified woman who runs a food outlet in Marondera.
She is also letting out part of the farm to a Chinese road construction company for $800 per month and former workers houses to desperate home tenants at $30 per room per month.
Under the provisions of the land reform legislation, occupied farms remain state property and no one is allowed to rent them out or vandalise structures left by the rightful owner. When it was grabbed from the commercial farmer, the property had magnificent outbuildings and a viable ostrich skin shoe factory.
Workers’ living quarters were made up of 15 four- roomed houses, each with a separate thatched kitchen. The farm had five Chongolo type tobacco barns and a 16-strand barbed wire perimeter fence to safeguard the ostrich.
When Maurukira took over the farm, it also had a serviceable irrigation scheme and some 348 asbestos pipes, each measuring 12 feet as well as a lot of other building materials.
A source privy to happenings at the farm told The Zimbabwean that Maurukira was assisted by her brother, who is employed as a driver with Farm and City, and two employees with Masco Chipinge to demolish 10 workers’ houses before selling off the roofing material and window frames. “Maurukira and other accomplices sold the building materials including all valuables in the farm storeroom. The formerly thriving shoe factory is now history and nothing is left to show for it,” said the source.
Farm produce statistics obtained from Agriculture Extension Services reveal that Maurukira only managed to grow a one hectare plot of maize in 2007 and a hectare of a poor quality tobacco this year.
Other sources in Zanu (PF) circles accused Maurukira of looting farm inputs such as seed and fertiliser from the Grain Marketing Board since 2005. She would collect the inputs from GMB ostensibly for distribution to farmers in her ward only to dispose of it on the black market.
“Maurukira is among Zanu (PF) officials who terrorized white commercial farmers in Marondera, looting their property in the process. But she seems to have immunity from the law. She has 10 children fathered by four different men and has been dragging her lovers (names given) before the courts for maintenance claims,” another source revealed.
Maurukira, who has connections in the security services sector, is also fingered in the burning down of houses at nearby Maganga Farm in 2008, after accusing the victims of practicing witchcraft. Shehas moved into a make shift farm cottage as she leases out the main farm house to Skindat Investments, a Harare-Mutare road maintenance company for $800 per month.
She has turned the workers living quarters into booking rooms for some students at nearby Kushinga Phikhelela Polytechnic and displaced former farm workers.
Marondera district administrator James Chiwaru told The Zimbabwean in a telephone interview that subletting or leasing state farm houses was illegal.
“Though I deal with A1 farms I am aware that no farmer is allowed by law to sublet or lease farm property. If the farm in question falls under A2, you may seek clarification from Governor and Resident Minister Aenius Chigwedere,” said Chiwaru.
Efforts to seek comment from Chigwedere were fruitless as he did not pick up his phone.
When an undercover news team visited the farm recently, Maurukira admitted renting out the property. “Yes I provide accommodation to school children and anyone else for $30 per room per month. Those willing to share a room can do so and work out how much each contributes towards the $30 per room rental,” she said.
Chinese road construction company workers could be seen driving in and out of the farm house property. Their road construction quarry stones are piled in the farm yard. A worker admitted the company was renting the farm house from Maurukira.
When contacted for comment Maurukira said “Who is complaining about leasing of the farm house to the Chinese? Please contact Ministry of Lands for comment,” before cutting off the interview.
A ministry of lands official who responded to this reporter’s call said no farmer was allowed to lease farm property to anyone. “Farms were allocated to productive farmers not those interested in running down the property or turning it into booking houses,” he said, adding that he was not the right person to speak to the media and referring further questions to his superiors who remained unreachable up to the time of going to print.
Post published in: News