White farmer bounces back

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

OVER 22 families spent the night out in the cold, having been evicted from a subdivision of Glenara Estates along the old Mazowe Road on Thursday, following a High Court order.

The farm was allocated to Mavis Rondozai in 2001 at the height of Zimbabwe’s bloody farm invasions.

Rondozai was reportedly allocated the land illegally, triggering a protracted court battle as farm owner Kelvin James won the right to return to his farm 17 years later.

The farm, which was now being run by Rondozai’s children following her death in 2006, had become home to nearly 100 people who were also forced out of the land. They had their homes
destroyed under the watch of the Deputy Sheriff.

Tambudzai Chikukutu, who was evicted from the farm said they had left their cattle, farm, produce and 17 years of a livelihood following the eviction.

“We had paid fees for our children for the term that opens next week, bought uniforms; we are even yet to harvest our crops, but following this cruel move we are left without hope and
disturbed,” she said.

Another victim, Abigail Mujere, said reports were that their offer letters had been dismissed as fraudulent.

“They argue that the summons in the matter where the former farm owner was filling for eviction were served at the wrong address. They further argued that our offer letters were
fake, but we know they are not fake. Something fishy is going on,” she said.

Mujere said the farm was handed over to her in-laws by Transport deputy minister Fortune Chasi.

“We were given the keys to the house by our MP Chasi in 2001. We have since approached him so that he deals with this matter. He has promised to help us,” she said.

A number of illegal farm invaders have, of late, been evicted from the various farms they grabbed in 2000.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, however, said the land reform will not be reversed, but the latest evictions are raising anxiety among the new farmers.