Chiefs join squabbles, target Kaukonde farm

via Chiefs join squabbles, target Kaukonde farm 06 January 2015

IN what is seen as vengeful pursuit of former VP Joice Mujuru’s allies Chief Musarurwa (Enos Masakwa) has said former Zanu PF provincial chairman Ray Kaukonde’s farm should be “broken up” and parcelled out amongst the chiefs.

Speaking in Chivhu, at a meeting which was organised to introduce new provincial minister Joel Biggie Matiza, Musarurwa said he is “pained” when he looks at Kaukonde’s farm which he has named after his mother.

He said “it is painful that traditional leaders are always the last to get land” adding that whenever they pass through ‘Gejo RaRubi’ farm they feel that pain.

“We are not saying take all of it but we should at least break it up to allow chiefs to get their share,” said Musarurwa who is the provincial head of traditional leaders.

Musarurwa said as the custodians of the country’s rural farmland, chiefs should be the biggest beneficiaries.

“We own the land and we should benefit from it. How are we expected to preside over the land when we do not even own a piece of it? Our plea to the government is to make sure that all traditional leaders are catered for,” he said.

Chief Musarurwa’s comments came in the coattails of threats to invade farms owned by Mujuru’s allies as a way of effectively dealing with the faction that lost out in the internal process that brought Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa within a foot of being the country’s number one citizen.

Mnangagwa is now deputy to Mugabe following years of internal factional fights with Mujuru over who should succeed Mugabe who has been at the helm of the party since 1977.

The traditional leader’s calls also echoed similar declarations made by veterans of the country’s liberation struggle when they met the provincial minister in Marondera last week.

While not responding directly to the Chief’s demands, Matiza has insisted that he would not protect anyone who is “sitting on a farm without the requisite documentation such as offer letters”.

Kaukonde, along with other provincial leaders among them former Higher Education Minister Olivia Muchena and Defence Minister Sidney Sekeramayi, fell out of favour with President Mugabe for allegedly supporting axed Mujuru’s bid to take over from  him ahead of the December congress.

Save for Sekeramayi, Mujuru’s allies including Kaukonde also lost their positions in the ruling party with the majority of members linked to the former deputy president getting fired from their government positions as well.