News / National
Farmer ordered to conceal Mugabe's cattle
24 Apr 2013 at 07:57hrs | Views
TOP Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial officials accused of stealing President Robert Mugabe's cattle allegedly instructed a Chipinge-based farmer to keep the beasts at his farm until further notice after earlier attempts to transfer them to Odzi had hit a brickwall, Mutare magistrate Lucie-Anne Mungwari heard yesterday.
This came out during the ongoing trial of Madiro (49) who is jointly charged with Mabika (47) on charges of stealing 10 cattle meant for slaughter at
Mugabe's 88th birthday in Mutare last year.
However, the pair, though its lawyer Tinofara Hove, denied the charge alleging they were victims of political persecution by senior party officials.
In his evidence, the Chipinge farmer John Chirimambowa on whose farm the cattle were bought and kept said Madiro instructed him to keep the cattle on the farm.
Chirimambowa, the Zanu-PF provincial secretary for production and labour, told the court that he acted on instructions which were hard to disregard.
He told the court that after receiving $5 000 from party provincial treasurer Supa Mandiwanzira for the purchase of the cattle, the veterinary department failed to clear the beasts for movement as they were coming from a "red zone" going to a "green zone."
"I was given an instruction to take the cattle to a farm in Odzi by the first accused (Madiro) through our party's provincial administrator. I then told the administrator that the cattle could not be transported alive and was told to remain put until further notice. I then told the 1st accused (Madiro) that the cattle could not be transferred and he told me to wait," Chirimambowa said.
He added that to the best of his knowledge the cattle were purchased for consumption at the President's birthday party, but was surprised, though he could not challenge it because of seniority, when told they were going to another farm.
Tempers briefly flared after Hove accused Chirimambowa of plotting to steal the beasts.
"You are not part of the (Zanu-PF) system and it's in your imaginations. I am not a thief and my actions are above board. The thieves could be my bosses who told me to remain with the cattle when I continuously enquired about the collection of the cattle that were still at my farm," he retorted.
The party provincial administrator Angawashe Nelia Maenda disclosed that she was instructed by Mabika to "add and alter" some information into minutes containing the cattle in question.
She also admitted that she was instructed by Madiro to instruct Chirimambowa to arrange for the transfer of the cattle in their live state to Dobropoulos Farm in Odzi, adding that she was too junior to ask the rationale when the beasts were meant for consumption.
Maenda said after being led into tampering with the minutes along with her junior at work Lucy Golowa, she immediately informed other executive members as she suspected criminal intentions.
The trial continues today with more witnesses set to testify.
This came out during the ongoing trial of Madiro (49) who is jointly charged with Mabika (47) on charges of stealing 10 cattle meant for slaughter at
Mugabe's 88th birthday in Mutare last year.
However, the pair, though its lawyer Tinofara Hove, denied the charge alleging they were victims of political persecution by senior party officials.
In his evidence, the Chipinge farmer John Chirimambowa on whose farm the cattle were bought and kept said Madiro instructed him to keep the cattle on the farm.
Chirimambowa, the Zanu-PF provincial secretary for production and labour, told the court that he acted on instructions which were hard to disregard.
He told the court that after receiving $5 000 from party provincial treasurer Supa Mandiwanzira for the purchase of the cattle, the veterinary department failed to clear the beasts for movement as they were coming from a "red zone" going to a "green zone."
"I was given an instruction to take the cattle to a farm in Odzi by the first accused (Madiro) through our party's provincial administrator. I then told the administrator that the cattle could not be transported alive and was told to remain put until further notice. I then told the 1st accused (Madiro) that the cattle could not be transferred and he told me to wait," Chirimambowa said.
He added that to the best of his knowledge the cattle were purchased for consumption at the President's birthday party, but was surprised, though he could not challenge it because of seniority, when told they were going to another farm.
Tempers briefly flared after Hove accused Chirimambowa of plotting to steal the beasts.
"You are not part of the (Zanu-PF) system and it's in your imaginations. I am not a thief and my actions are above board. The thieves could be my bosses who told me to remain with the cattle when I continuously enquired about the collection of the cattle that were still at my farm," he retorted.
The party provincial administrator Angawashe Nelia Maenda disclosed that she was instructed by Mabika to "add and alter" some information into minutes containing the cattle in question.
She also admitted that she was instructed by Madiro to instruct Chirimambowa to arrange for the transfer of the cattle in their live state to Dobropoulos Farm in Odzi, adding that she was too junior to ask the rationale when the beasts were meant for consumption.
Maenda said after being led into tampering with the minutes along with her junior at work Lucy Golowa, she immediately informed other executive members as she suspected criminal intentions.
The trial continues today with more witnesses set to testify.
Source - newsday
