Zanu-PF invaders thrown out of Dabengwa's farm by police

ABOUT 150 Zanu-PF supporters that invaded Denver Farm in Nyamandlovu last week were yesterday evicted by the police.

According to Ndodana Sibanda, son of the farm owner Majele Sibanda, the invaders came to the farm on Thursday last week and began clearing the area close to the farmhouse before apportioning themselves land.

"Zanu-PF people came to the farm last week and began allocating each other pieces of land after clearing the area," he said. "I visited them yesterday to tell them to move from the farm but in vain until l reported the matter at the Luveve Police Station.

"In the southern part of the farm, we are fighting civil servants that had been allocated residential stands at the River Valley Estate side and the issue is in the courts."

Sibanda said he did not know if the latest invasion was orchestrated by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi Moyo, who allegedly instructed her officials to allocate people residential stands on the farm also known as Helenvale Block saying it was State land, although she knew that it was private property.

"I do not know whether this is a plan by Sandi Moyo, but l think these are the people who had invaded Ruby Farm owned by Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa," Sibanda said.

Denver Farm is next to Dabengwa's Ruby Farm. Documents seen by Southern Eye show that Sandi Moyo started pushing for the acquisition of Helenvale Block in February where she met officials from the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing ministry.

She was advised by F Ndhlovu that government records showed the farm was private property and the owners had submitted a permission to subdivide the farm, which was granted in 2009.

Areas around Bulawayo have been hit by fresh farm invasions engineered by Zanu-PF supporters despite government pronouncements that the land reform programme has been suspended.