via Zanu PF men jailed for Dabengwa farm havoc 25 November 2014
TWO Zanu PF activists who invaded a farm owned by Zapu leader, Dumiso Dabengwa, in June this year were on Tuesday jailed for 15 months for trespassing.
Tariro Magovanyika, 34, and Mark Muunganirwa, 35, are members of a Zanu PF-aligned Youth in Farming Organisation.
The two were ordered to pay $3,600 each to the Bulawayo City Council as compensation after they wantonly cut down trees at Mazwi Nature Reserve.
They will serve an effective 12 months, after West Commonage magistrate, Tancy Dube, suspended three months on condition that they will not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
The duo was charged with criminal trespass and contravening the Forestry Act after they invaded the Bulawayo City Council-owned farm, Mazwi Nature Reserve, Denver Farm, Norwood Farm, Sly and Ruddy Farm.
The invasions irked several top ranking Zanu PF officials who denounced the youths and dismissed the group as members of the opposition masquerading as Zanu PF members.
The duo’s lawyer, Russel Dzete, of Ndove and Museta legal practitioners, said they would appeal the sentence as the magistrate had erred in arriving at the judgement.
The state said on June 19 this year, Muunganirwa and Magovanyika unlawfully entered Mazwi nature reserve and allocated themselves plots measuring 500x250m.
They also parcelled the land to their 400 supporters without the authority of the city council.
Magovanyika and Muunganirwa then mobilised supporters and issued stands to a number of individuals who started clearing the land for resettlement.
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