War veterans invade top govt officials’ farms

ZANU-PF supporters invaded commercial farms leased to prominent government and ruling party officials in Matabeleland South, the independent weekly ‘Financial Gazette’ reported on Thursday.

The report said the invaders had moved onto several farms in the prime agricultural area of Marula last week and had increased their presence there during the Heroes’ Day holidays at the weekend. It said the occupied farms included those leased to Supreme Court judges Luke Malaba and Misheck Cheda, former deputy transport minister Zenzo Nsimbi (now Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Botswana) and Jonathan Maphenduka - a former senior staffer at the state-controlled ‘Chronicle’ newspaper.

According to the report, prominent figures who were granted leases in the area two years ago amid a wave of criticism from poor villagers included Alvord Mabhena, former general manager of the National Railways of Zimbabwe, and Simon Khaya Moyo, Zimbabwe’s High Commissioner to South Africa.

Maphenduka, whose farm was invaded last Tuesday and who is chairman of the Mangwe Farmers’ Association, which represents 47 tenants in Marula, confirmed the occupations. “The invaders have personally given me until Saturday to vacate the property. Most of us on these properties are blacks with 99-year leases from the government,” the newspaper quoted him saying. “It is strange that they are invading farms leased to black farmers. The entire commercial cattle production scheme on the properties is seriously under threat and we feel the government should move with speed to evict these people.”