News / National
Chipanga takes Mutsvangwa to court over seized farm
14 Jun 2018 at 02:55hrs | Views
FORMER Zanu-PF youth leader, Kudzanai Chipanga has taken Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Monica Mutsvangwa to court, accusing her of illegally handing over his Headlands commercial farm to its former owner, Andrew Dawson.
Through his lawyers, Chipanga on Tuesday filed an urgent High Court chamber application seeking to interdict Mutsvangwa, former Local Government deputy minister Christopher Chingosho, Alias Masuku, Dawson and James Chisholm, from taking over the property.
"This is an urgent chamber application seeking in the first instance an order barring the respondents from forcibly removing the applicant (Chipanga) from Wakefield Farm, Headlands and restoring status quo ante prior to the events of June 11, 2018, which shall be narrated hereunder and in the second instance interdicting the respondents, in particular the fourth and fifth respondents (Dawson and Chisholm) from continuing to occupy applicant's farm, which is Wakefield Farm on the instruction and blessing of the first to third respondent, without lawful right therefore," Chipanga said in his founding affidavit.
According to Chipanga, the farm was initially earmarked for Manicaland State University, but later allocated to him in August 2016 after the university, through the Higher and Tertiary Education ministry, turned down the offer.
"The applicant, since the date of allocation, has been in quiet and undisturbed occupation of the farm. I am advised, which advise I verily believe to be true and correct that the respondents have no right whatsoever to evict me from my farm without an order from a competent court or without following due process," he said.
"I am further advised, which advice I verily believe to be true and correct, that the conduct of the respondents is only befitting in a banana republic, where the law of the jungle is the order of the day."
"I submit that from the narration I have made above, it is clear that the actions of the fourth and fifth respondents are directed at causing grave and irreparable harm on my undisputed right of occupation of my farm and only an urgent order of this honourable court can stop this manifest injustice from continuously being perpetrated against me," he said.
Mutsvangwa and her co-respondents are yet to respond to the application.
Through his lawyers, Chipanga on Tuesday filed an urgent High Court chamber application seeking to interdict Mutsvangwa, former Local Government deputy minister Christopher Chingosho, Alias Masuku, Dawson and James Chisholm, from taking over the property.
"This is an urgent chamber application seeking in the first instance an order barring the respondents from forcibly removing the applicant (Chipanga) from Wakefield Farm, Headlands and restoring status quo ante prior to the events of June 11, 2018, which shall be narrated hereunder and in the second instance interdicting the respondents, in particular the fourth and fifth respondents (Dawson and Chisholm) from continuing to occupy applicant's farm, which is Wakefield Farm on the instruction and blessing of the first to third respondent, without lawful right therefore," Chipanga said in his founding affidavit.
According to Chipanga, the farm was initially earmarked for Manicaland State University, but later allocated to him in August 2016 after the university, through the Higher and Tertiary Education ministry, turned down the offer.
"I am further advised, which advice I verily believe to be true and correct, that the conduct of the respondents is only befitting in a banana republic, where the law of the jungle is the order of the day."
"I submit that from the narration I have made above, it is clear that the actions of the fourth and fifth respondents are directed at causing grave and irreparable harm on my undisputed right of occupation of my farm and only an urgent order of this honourable court can stop this manifest injustice from continuously being perpetrated against me," he said.
Mutsvangwa and her co-respondents are yet to respond to the application.
Source - newsday
