via White farmer gets offer letter | The Herald August 20, 2014 by Daniel Nemukuyu
The fifth largest dairy farmer in Zimbabwe, Mr Gerald Douglas Davison, has been allowed to continue operating on Xekene Farm in Seke in line with Government policy to boost fresh milk delivery and to increase the national herd. Sub-division A of Xekene Farm, measuring 170 hectares, had been compulsorily acquired by Government under the land reform programme and Mr Aaron Madziva was allocated the farm.
However, Government on July 31 this year issued another offer letter to Mr Davison, at the time he was facing eviction from the farm.
Armed with an offer letter, Mr Davison filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court, seeking to bar Mr Madziva and the sheriff from evicting him from the dairy farm.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu deferred the case to an indefinite date to allow Government to clarify its position considering that Mr Madziva’s offer letter had not yet been cancelled.
Mr Madziva, the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement and the sheriff of Zimbabwe were cited as respondents in the urgent chamber application.
In the court application filed by Harare lawyer, Mr Jonathan Samukange, on behalf of Mr Davison, it was stated that the farmer was one of the best milk producers in the country and that he delivered thousands of litres of milk to Dairibord annually.
Mr Samukange argued that it was Government policy to spare competent dairy farmers from eviction under the land reform programme.
“It is clear that the Government has change of heart and has now realised that dairy farms should not have been acquired in the first place.
“It is for this reason that the Government has now come up with this new policy, which allows dairy farmers to remain on their farms and they are all being given offer letters,” read Mr Samukange’s affidavit.
Mr Samukange stated in the court papers that production of milk was a technical and complex area and that his client was better placed to run the project than the other land beneficiary Mr Madziva.
Mr Madziva is a former police officer.
“Production of milk is specialised farming and I am advised that the first respondent (Mr Madziva) is a former police officer who is not equipped with specialised knowledge and skill to run successful dairy farming.
“The applicant is the fifth largest dairy farmer in the country and delivers thousands of litres of milk to the Dairboard of Zimbabwe.
“Furthermore first respondent will not be able to run a specialised dairy without equipment and I personally doubt very much if he will be able to run even a dairy farm.
“While I believe in time he will be able to run one, but at the present moment he will not be able to do it instantaneously . . . ”
Early this year, High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi, ruled that beneficiaries of the land reform programme who are under-using their land should have their offer letters withdrawn to pave way for more deserving farmers.
Justice Mathonsi made the remarks while confirming the withdrawal of an offer letter from Mutare businessman Mr Fungai Chaeruka, and the subsequent reallocation of the same land to the former owner, Ms Heather Guild.
Mr Chaeruka lost the land after it came to the authorities’ attention that he was underusing 498 hectares of Lot 5, Mazonwe Farm in Mutare.
The court heard that Mr Chaeruka was practising horticulture on less than one hectare, leaving more than 497 hectares idle.
COMMENTS
So, dairy farms should not have been acquired. We were also told that orchards would be left alone. Huh! Bulls….t. We all know who has been lusting after citrus farms and who has grabbed them.
DRY ORANGE TREES IN CHEGUTU! WHICH BLACK FARMER HAD IT!
I would “Google” that question, Tjingababili!
What a shambles and how contradictory, this offer letter is not worth the paper it is written on as Zanupf have shown, this farmer will only be allowed to farm until some one higher up the corrupt Zanupf food chain can demonstrate that they are able to run a dairy farm, he will farm by the Grace of “Grace”!
Only until a top goon feels he needs a new farm to ruin and he sends in a couple of “Green Flies” to buzz him off the property.
I wonder if this White farmer is greasing a few palms or possibly a friend of a friend of Mugabe the mafia boss..that usually works in ZANU-PF government.
Mind you I have no problems with who farms what. I for one am not a farmer and the only encounter I want with any farm produce is at my local supermarket or butcher. I will gladly pay the purchace price of their produce thus doing my bit to support the farmer. Milk is white whether farmed by a Black or White farmer, after all. Big up all farmers doing a good job.
AND TO THOSE NOT PLEASE STEP ASIDE!
Just shows none of the commercial farms, all run by experts should have been grabbed and Zim would have a thriving economy. Only thing is the looters would have to have worked for a crust instead of stealing everyone’s else’s hard work!
A Title Deed is either a lawful piece of paper or not – regardless if it is for a Dairy Farm, a Citrus estate or a simple plot. Regardless of whether it is in a town or in the country. End of story. When you throw those away and repalce them with “AN OFFER LETTER” then it is dog eat dog….as we have now.
This Madziva might not be even a farmer. RACIST ZPF!!!!
many farms have “court orders” protecting the title holder from these goons, many are simply ignored and the police meekly say “its political”face facts respect title and we can move forward. I believe many land grabbers are wanting to pay for ” their” farm now because the realize that title is more secure than an offer letter or 99 year “lease”…
Why were the white farmers removed from their farms in the first place. Now you found that you don’t have the best farmers in the farms. That is why all food is bought from outside. Fools.
Well atleast there will some milk for sale, not much else that is not imported. What a bunch of bafoons.
“Not a tree within 500m of any farm track and gullies up to 10 meters deep in the once arable lands. It is now beyond saving.” So said a farmer who flew over his former farm recently.”May the Tsetse and Mosquito enjoy their regained homeland.”