News / Regional
Outsiders getting Matabeleland farms
07 Nov 2015 at 07:55hrs | Views
MDC secretary-general and former National Healing Integration and Reconciliation co-minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu has expressed concern at the manner in which farms were being allocated in Matabeleland, saying mostly Zanu-PF loyalists from other provinces are benefiting.
Mzila-Ndlovu said the new beneficiaries already owned other farms elsewhere.
This year alone, government gazetted 23 farms for resettlement of which 18 were based in Matabeleland provinces.
The gazetting of the farms sparked land wars in Matabeleland, with disputes spilling into the courts and in some instances farm workers joining their employers and physically fighting the new occupiers.
Mzila-Ndlovu said it was sad that most of the farms that were being acquired in Matabeleland were being taken by people who already had farms elsewhere.
"We are not happy about what is going on in farms in Matabeleland because it seems most of the people who claim to have been given offer letters to acquire the farms already have some farms elsewhere," he said.
"For example, the people who are taking Boxwell Farm in Bulilima District owned by Michael Norman Conolly are said to be owners of farms in Matabeleland North as well."
Chairman of the Matabeleland branch of Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers, Benedict Moyo, was reportedly allocated Boxwell Farm, and Ashton Ndlovu was given Banovallum Farm both in the same district in Matabeleland South.
Mzila Ndlovu said it was puzzling why government would allow the takeover of the farm, which is owned by someone who supported the liberation struggle by assisting Zipra combatants with food and clothing from the same farms.
"Conolly supported Zipra during the liberation struggle and it is unfair for the government to take a farm from such a person, who even today is supporting the local people with jobs and food," he said.
"These people who just seize farms later render them white elephants after looting from them."
Mzila-Ndlovu's remarks come in the wake of a pending High Court application by Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement minister Douglas Mombeshora, who has approached the court seeking the eviction of Conolly and his workers from the farm to pave way for Moyo and other new farmers.
President Robert Mugabe's aide, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ray Ndhlukula, invaded Centenary Farm owned by David Conolly which saw him evicting 75 people from the farm, some of whom had been staying at the property since the 1960s.
Mzila-Ndlovu said the new beneficiaries already owned other farms elsewhere.
This year alone, government gazetted 23 farms for resettlement of which 18 were based in Matabeleland provinces.
The gazetting of the farms sparked land wars in Matabeleland, with disputes spilling into the courts and in some instances farm workers joining their employers and physically fighting the new occupiers.
Mzila-Ndlovu said it was sad that most of the farms that were being acquired in Matabeleland were being taken by people who already had farms elsewhere.
"We are not happy about what is going on in farms in Matabeleland because it seems most of the people who claim to have been given offer letters to acquire the farms already have some farms elsewhere," he said.
Chairman of the Matabeleland branch of Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers, Benedict Moyo, was reportedly allocated Boxwell Farm, and Ashton Ndlovu was given Banovallum Farm both in the same district in Matabeleland South.
Mzila Ndlovu said it was puzzling why government would allow the takeover of the farm, which is owned by someone who supported the liberation struggle by assisting Zipra combatants with food and clothing from the same farms.
"Conolly supported Zipra during the liberation struggle and it is unfair for the government to take a farm from such a person, who even today is supporting the local people with jobs and food," he said.
"These people who just seize farms later render them white elephants after looting from them."
Mzila-Ndlovu's remarks come in the wake of a pending High Court application by Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement minister Douglas Mombeshora, who has approached the court seeking the eviction of Conolly and his workers from the farm to pave way for Moyo and other new farmers.
President Robert Mugabe's aide, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ray Ndhlukula, invaded Centenary Farm owned by David Conolly which saw him evicting 75 people from the farm, some of whom had been staying at the property since the 1960s.
Source - southern eye
