CIO operative in Matobo land grab storm

Villagers at FOX Farm in Matobo, Matabeleland South, are resisting what they describe as a corrupt attempt by senior officials to seize their land and re-allocate it to outsiders from outside the province.

The dispute involves long-term residents and Matobo district land commissioner Johane Zifunze, together with an unnamed Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) official based in Gwanda. Southern Eye's visit to the area on Tuesday revealed high tensions, with villagers accusing officials of systematically replacing the original beneficiaries.

The residents appealed for government intervention, drawing parallels with a previous land dispute in which the late former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko stopped an alleged takeover by CIO boss Rodney Mashingaidze at Maleme Ranch.

Zanu-PF branch commissar and affected villager Joseph Nkomo alleged corruption, claiming that lands officers had allocated homesteads to outsiders, forcing locals to vacate. "We successfully challenged a previous eviction attempt at the High Court in 2017," Nkomo said, criticising officials for bypassing community leaders and holding secret meetings, sometimes as late as 2 a.m., to make decisions.

Zanu-PF area secretary Peter Gakavhiza accused disgruntled party members of using parallel structures to manipulate land allocations for personal gain, saying their actions tarnish the image of the President. Zanu-PF Women's League commissar for ward 25, Moreki Ngwenya, echoed concerns, alleging that lands officers, despite government directives, were corruptly selling land.

A villager, identified only as Ndlovu, alleged that Zifunze, working with the CIO official, had begun pegging people's stands, with police deployed to suppress resistance. The CIO official was said to be originally from Mashonaland.

When contacted for comment, Zifunze declined to speak, stating he would only respond if a reporter visited his office. He has a history of land allocation controversies, including a 2019 incident in Matabeleland North involving over 200 stands at Gwayi business centre, where he was accused of demarcating and selling stands without planning authorities' knowledge. Reports indicate that he was previously transferred from Filabusi following similar allegations.

The FOX Farm standoff highlights ongoing tensions over land allocation in Matabeleland South, raising questions about transparency, governance, and the protection of long-standing community rights.