Black empowerment policy backfires on Zanu-PF

The controversial black empowerment and indigenisation policy fronted by Zanu-PF has backfired to its youth militias in Chiredzi who have been summoned to court after they forcibly grabbed three buildings in the sugar estate town owned by white people, the Radio VOP reported.

About ten Zanu-PF  youths were last week served by letters instructing them to appear before a Chiredzi magistrate facing charges of invading private property and malicious damage to property after they went on the rampage in September destroying properties in the buildings they forcibly grabbed.

The boisterous youths took over the properties after they accused the three white men, Jan Van Javeert who owns South East Turning company, Graig Hanning's building and  Govan investments building owned by Southhood Govan of failing to complying with the Indigenization Act that demands foreign business to cede 51% to the locals.

The rowdy Zanu √ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨"PF  youth group, Masvingo Youths Empowerment Association (MAYEA), who said they were supporting youth Minister Savoiur Kasukuwere who is the brains  behind the controversial policy and law, could be jailed after their action turned nasty after they were served with court summons.

Zanu √ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨"PF  deputy national political commissar for the youth wing, Talent Majoni who was also served with the letter after leading the property grab confirmed the latest development to Radio VOP.

"It's true that we have been served with summons to appear in court in Chiredzi for allegedly taking those buildings in September. Right now I can't give the actual dates of the court case as I am travelling to Chiredzi to collect my summons but my colleagues called me after receiving theirs and they have mine also.

" They want to arrest us for taking what is rightfully ours, this is a set back to the empowerment drive spearheaded by our party Zanu-PF , we are going to fight this and make sure that the drive moves ahead in the province," said Majoni.

Majoni said they will be getting the assistance of their party lawyers and give details of all the members who have been served with summons but pointed out that they could be over ten.

The youth militia group had sent panic across the province as other white business hurriedly closed while other were living in fear of losing their companies after announcing that they will be pouncing on bigger firms.

The group was targeting giant sugar producing companies, Hippo Valley and Triangle in the low veld district of Chiredzi, Renco gold mine in Masvingo south and Africa's biggest and sole Lithium producers, Bikita Minerals.