Zanu PF targets Mutasa’s farm

via Zanu PF targets Mutasa’s farm – NewsDay Zimbabwe February 13, 2015

MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene yesterday said Zanu PF was planning to repossess a commercial farm allocated to former Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa after the latter recently denounced the land reform programme describing it as retrogressive.

Chimene made the remarks at Mutare Hall where she was meeting stakeholders from Mutare district.

She said it was not proper for Mutasa to continue occupying his farm following his public attacks on government’s land reform programme and party leadership.

“We are auditing the farms. Certainly farms like that of Didymus Mutasa we have to take them. He said we made a mistake to take white people’s land so he made a mistake to take the farm,” Chimene said.

“As the minister, I will take that farm and put an A1 farmer there. You can’t try to defeat government policy. He was once Lands minister giving land to his girlfriends and friends,” she said, drawing wild applause from the guests who included heads of government departments, Zanu PF activists and the business community.

Chimene described Mutasa as a rebel without a cause, urging other party members to ignore his push for a fresh Zanu PF congress.

Mutasa, who until last December was President Robert Mugabe’s right-hand man as Presidential Affairs minister, crossed swords with his party colleagues after he sought to nullify the congress resolutions.

The Headlands MP has taken the matter to Sadc and the African Union and threatened to take the party to court in a bid to cause a rerun of the Zanu PF congress saying the congress held in December was unconstitutional.

Since then, top party officials led by the Zanu PF Manicaland provincial executive have been pushing for Mutasa’s expulsion from the party and Parliament.
Mugabe last month described Mutasa as “a stray braying ass” and immediately set up a seven-member disciplinary committee to deal with him.

Meanwhile, Chimene said beginning next month, she would lead a delegation of traditional leaders from Zimunya and Marange to Harare to demand the $10 million pledged by each of the five diamond mining firms operating in the area. The trust fund, launched by Mugabe amid pomp and fanfare almost three years ago, is meant to spearhead developmental projects in the province.

“You called the President to present a cardbox paper without cash,” she charged.

“We are coming to your (diamond firms) offices with these chiefs. We are giving you up to February 25 to pay up or we will picket your offices demanding the cash,” she said.