Ex-Governor Chased Out Of Farm
10/03/2010 13:33:00
Masvingo, March 10, 2010 -Embattled former Masvingo Governor Willard Chiwewe, who was unceremoniously relieved of his duties by President Robert Mugabe in his maiden term, two years ago, is seeing red after his sucessor, Titus Maluleke this week ordered him to vacate a farm which the former governor forcibly grabbed from a black family during his tenure in office.
The move to muscle out Chiwewe, from Ganyani Farm in Masvingo East, is yet another swing in the Zanu PF factional puzzle amid reports that Maluleke is trying to punish his predecessor for being symphatetic to a faction known openly to back Vice President Joice Mujuru.
Chiwewe was reportedly given until the end of April this year, by Maluleke, to vacate Ganyani farm or risk being openly embarrased in yet another twist to factional bickering in Zanu PF.
Zanu PF is normally known to condone even illegal actions and excesses by its members but the latest move to elbow out Chiwewe from Ganyani farm has set the stage for a tug of war between rival factions in Zanu PF in
Masvingo.
Maluleke is reported to have ordered lands officials to make sure that Chiwewe vacate Ganyani farm on the grounds that the farm was grabbed from a black person.
”We have since been ordered by Maluleke to make sure that Chiwewe vacates Ganyani farm by the end of April this year because he acquired the land illegally by abusing his position to grab a farm owned by a black person and in this case the Ganyani family.
”However, to us there is more to it because there are many heavies who broke the rules and illegally used their political muscles to grab some properties in the name of land reform but nothing was done to them. In this
case we think its factional bickering nothing else, Chiwewe is simply being scarificed,” said a senior lands official who preferred anonymity.
Contacted for comment Chiwewe said, ”There is simply nothing I can do if the situation is like this, farming becomes really child’s play if we have no protection from hyenas with their own vendettas that are not in sync with the land reform programme, why target me of all the people.”
Sources said Maluleke, linked to the faction led by Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, had in the past openly vowed to fix Chiwewe when he succeeded him about two years go.