CIO boss hunts for Maleme people at night

AS TENSION between the villagers and Central Intelligence (CIO) boss Rodney Mashingaidze over Maleme farm in Matobo escalates, villagers have claimed that the secret agent yesterday visited the farm driving a white track at night hunting for the farm manager and other people.

It is alleged that Mashingaidze accuses some certain villagers and the farm manager of exposing the death of dogs and theft of solar panels from the farm which is suspected to have been done by his (Mashingaidze) employees.

Matabeleland South Zapu organizing Secretary Mcedisi Tshabalala said they were riled by the acts of impunity perpetrated by Mashingaidze and those who work with him.  

He said Zapu provincial visited the farm yesterday and was shocked to discover that members of the CIO were stealing produce at the farm. He said it was irritating that villagers said Mashingaidze visited the farm driving a track with his boys and was allegedly looking for the farm manager and other workers.

He said Mashingaidze and his people have imposed curfew in the farm where the workers who are keeping chickens are no longer allowed to feed them at night as they used to do.

Tshabalala said this came after the villagers who had approached farm workers who wanted to feed chickens and were blocked by Mashingaidze's workers leading to skirmishes which led to about 13 people being arrested.

"Mashingaidze's actions of raiding people at around 11pm leaves us with no option but to mobilise the community to stay at the farm fulltime to protect the people from what we suspect is the beginning of another Gukurahundi where people were being abducted at night and were never seen to date," said Tshabalala.

Tshabalala said it is public information that the incumbent MPS Never Khanye Saul Ncube have also invaded farms in Matobo district at Big cave Camp and Crawford farms.

"This action by the elected leaders leaves a lot to be desired as it would appear as if they were elected to loot resources at the expense of the electorate," said Tshabalala. "Those of our people who are being used by Mashingaidze must stop it as their actions are against the community."

Mashingaidze's people also reportedly let out the cattle to feed on the crops the action which the party described as worse than devil.

Tshabalala urged all people in the province to unity and fight the invasion regardless of political affiliation as the farm itself does not benefit Zanu PF, Zapu or MDC-T  people alone but everyone in that area especially the youths who are to continue benefiting for the rest of their lives.

Zapu Chairman for Matabeleland South Mathew Sibanda said the current scenarios in Maleme reminded his party of the fifth brigade soldiers who hunted them and rekindles the memories of how they scared for safety on daily biases whenever they heard that the soldiers were around.

On Tuesday reported said approximately 40 villagers were detained by Kezi police officers following the standoff between Mashingaidze's workers and the villagers.

Villagers are resisting the allocation of the farm to Mashingaidze and have vowed to fight to the bitter end to avoid the farm being taken over.

In probably the first of its kind, villagers volunteered to be arrested by the police, who had gone to the farm to protect it from possible vandalism.

However, villagers said they had gone to the farm to protect it against vandalism by Mashingaidze and his employees and to feed livestock on the farm.

Chief Masuku said one of his aides, Killian Masuku, had been arrested after he had gone to feed ostriches on the farm.

Villagers said they were running various agricultural projects at the ranch like poultry farming, but Mashingaidze had locked them out, amid reports his employees were on a looting spree.