via Army and police chiefs fight for farm in Mwenezi | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Friday, May 23, 2014
A lucrative wildlife ranch in Mwenezi is at the centre of a fight between its owner and senior army and police officers who are demanding a substantial amount which they claim to be part of their ‘shareholding and dividends.’
A report in the NewsDay newspaper on Friday said the three service personnel and three headmen want Darryl Collett, owner of the Mjingwe Ranch, to pay them $500,000. Collett operates the Ranch with an investor partner from South Africa, Alastair Forsyth.
The group claim they invaded the wildlife farm two years ago and that the money owed to them is from the profit made so far since 2012.
Those after the farm are Brigadier-General Josphat Kudumba, Police Assistant Commissioner Elliot Muswita, Army Captain Solomon Ndlovu, headman Peterson Mhizha Mudumo, Raphael Shoko and Finger Tapera.
The daily paper said the six ‘settlers’, through their lawyers, demanded that the Mjingwe owners vacate the farm this week. They threatened the owners with eviction if they didn’t go.
The settlers have produced a 25-year lease from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. However two weeks ago ZANU PF’s politburo rescinded all offer letters granted to top party and army officials for land in the Save Valley Conservancy and surrounding areas.
The same politburo meeting, chaired by President Robert Mugabe, also resolved to remove all beneficiaries of the wildlife-based land grab from properties that were meant to be protected under Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs).
Our Bulawayo correspondent Lionel Saungweme told us there is a sense that some of the Ranches being protected with the blessing of the politburo belong to or are being run by owners who are pro-ZANU PF and have funded the party at some time.
It remains to be seen whether the Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti will manage to remove all those offered 25-year leases for conservancies by May 30th, as he was tasked by the politburo to do.
COMMENTS
We know who u are. Bassop. Criminal police for hard lab our in chikkers
If ZPF wants to revive Zimbabwe’s economic health and bring God’s blessings upon this nation this land issue must co to a speedy and fair and just conclusion allowing ALL Zimbabweans who want to farm security and right of tenure. All land invasions should stop forthwith. This so called land reform has destroyed this nation.
Here we see the true spirit of Zanu. Greed and self-enrichment is the name of the game for them. Everything they touch has nothing to with helping the nation but destroying it. God deliver us from this great evil!!
Come on guys,$500 000!?How do you arrive at this number & how did “your share” end up in someone’s hands?Being military people I thought you were strategy fundis. If you have any liberation war crentilals you have just messed them up.Your actions reduce you To common THIEVES/CRIMINALS!
What should Zim expect? Army and Police = corrupt, racist murderers and rapists. Zanu-PF eat the children of Zim.
@Brian said in just a few words
Another good example that these thieving scum bags cannot start anything from scratch
The settlement of the land issue is not going to happen under ZANU’s watch.
As has been mentioned, these guys are nothing but thieves, plain and simple.
They haven’t got the brains to develop their own projects but take over and destroy what other people have worked hard for.
Soon, this ranch will be nothing but broken down fences and scabie animals.
The so-called “revolution” was nothing more than a bank robbery in disguise, and now instead of rule-of-law, it’s “every thug for himself”… anarchy.
God, please see Zimbabwe, and save your righteous from the filthy hands of evil men. Punish the wicked… those who look to themselves, rather than to you… those who value their bank account over the life of another of your creation. Help me not to be counted among them.