News / National
Chinotimba's farm takeover resisted by villagers
09 Jan 2015 at 12:33hrs | Views
SCORES of angry Chipinge community members including war veterans, youths and women have joined a series of ongoing demonstrations in protest over the occupation of 164 hectares of Chihoza Farm in Daisy Hill by Edwin Chinotimba, the son of Buhera South legislator Joseph Chinotimba.
So far three peaceful demonstrations have been staged by the landless locals who feel betrayed when prime land in their vicinity is being parcelled out to others who hail from families that have already benefited from the land reform programme apart from being outsiders from the district.
The first demonstration was done on December 23, the second on January 3 and the last one on January 6.
Government through the office of the then Minister of Manicaland Provincial Affairs Cde Christopher Mushohwe issued an offer letter allowing Edwin Chinotimba to occupy Chihoza Farm at the end of 2014.
According to information gathered by The Manica Post, the farm has 164 hectares and around 25 hectares is under the lucrative macadamia nuts plantations.
Chihoza Farm was previously co-owned by one former CEO of Nicolle Gold, Mr Gura, and two foreigners, a Mauritian and French under the company name Voida Brawn.
It was then gazetted for acquisition in 2000 but was later delisted after one of the owners, Mr Gura, a local, became the sole owner of the farm.
One of the demonstrators, Naison Chitima, said they will continue staging demonstrations until all landless people in Chipinge got a share of Chihoza Farm.
"We are going to Minister Chimene's office in Mutare on the date which we will not divulge at this gathering. We will then proceed to Mazowe and meet Amai Mugabe and tell her our problems here.
"The remaining farms in Chipinge should benefit locals who did not have land because most of the farms here are owned by people who do not hail from Chipinge.
"Youth have been biting the dust since the land reform began, yet they were at the forefront of invading the white owned farms.
"It is not fair to see outsiders coming here with offer letters indicating that they were given land by the Government yet people here are landless," he said.
Cde Bandama, one of the demonstrators, said Chihoza Farm should benefit hundreds of local people who were displaced in Gwenzi and Mugondi during the land reforms
"There are small holder farmers in Gwenzi and Mugondi who lost their farms following a high court ruling to vacate the area and these people are now landless.
"They are the ones who should be given first priority to own the available land," he said.
Efforts to get comment from Chinotimba were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.
So far three peaceful demonstrations have been staged by the landless locals who feel betrayed when prime land in their vicinity is being parcelled out to others who hail from families that have already benefited from the land reform programme apart from being outsiders from the district.
The first demonstration was done on December 23, the second on January 3 and the last one on January 6.
Government through the office of the then Minister of Manicaland Provincial Affairs Cde Christopher Mushohwe issued an offer letter allowing Edwin Chinotimba to occupy Chihoza Farm at the end of 2014.
According to information gathered by The Manica Post, the farm has 164 hectares and around 25 hectares is under the lucrative macadamia nuts plantations.
Chihoza Farm was previously co-owned by one former CEO of Nicolle Gold, Mr Gura, and two foreigners, a Mauritian and French under the company name Voida Brawn.
It was then gazetted for acquisition in 2000 but was later delisted after one of the owners, Mr Gura, a local, became the sole owner of the farm.
One of the demonstrators, Naison Chitima, said they will continue staging demonstrations until all landless people in Chipinge got a share of Chihoza Farm.
"The remaining farms in Chipinge should benefit locals who did not have land because most of the farms here are owned by people who do not hail from Chipinge.
"Youth have been biting the dust since the land reform began, yet they were at the forefront of invading the white owned farms.
"It is not fair to see outsiders coming here with offer letters indicating that they were given land by the Government yet people here are landless," he said.
Cde Bandama, one of the demonstrators, said Chihoza Farm should benefit hundreds of local people who were displaced in Gwenzi and Mugondi during the land reforms
"There are small holder farmers in Gwenzi and Mugondi who lost their farms following a high court ruling to vacate the area and these people are now landless.
"They are the ones who should be given first priority to own the available land," he said.
Efforts to get comment from Chinotimba were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Source - manicapost
