Mugabe rescues duped farmers

President Robert Mugabe yesterday intervened to facilitate a loan with a local commercial bank to buy seed and fertilizers for hundreds of stranded farmers duped of millions of dollars by a Zanu-PF-linked company in a botched agricultural input scheme.

The farmers had been asked to contribute money for inputs to Lasch, a company owned by Zanu-PF youths.

But the company failed to deliver on its promise, forcing stranded farmers to camp for weeks at its Willowvale offices in Harare demanding the inputs.

On Wednesday, the angry farmers besieged Zanu-PF offices and demanded an audience with Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

But the Vice-President ordered the farmers to present their grievances in writing to his Munhumutapa offices.

The farmers refused to leave the Zanu-PF headquarters until they got the inputs, claiming that they were forced to enter the deal because it had the blessings of the party leadership.

Former Zanu-PF national chairman Simon Khaya-Moyo, axed secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and Agriculture minister Joseph Made presided over the launch of the Lasch deal.

Mugabe yesterday dispatched Zanu-PF Youth League secretary Pupurai Togarepi and party chief administrator Dickson Dzora to negotiate with the farmers.