Police Impound Porusingazi truck
Tangai Chipangura
Police on Monday stopped the sale of 30 tonnes of maize by Ernest Porusingazi, son of a powerful Zanu PF official in Manicaland after a report had been made by a dispossessed white farmer that the maize had been stolen from his farm.
Police impounded the 30 tonne truck belonging to Ernest’s father, Enoch Porusingazi and took it to Waterfalls Police Station. The truck was eventually released yesterday afternoon. Porusingazi (snr) said in an interview from Chipinge yesterday that the white farmer Dawie Joubert had no right to claim ownership of the maize because he had been kicked off the farm in January and everything that remained on the farm should now belong to his son.
“He left the farm in January upon legal eviction through the courts because my son had an offer letter to that farm,” Porusingazi said.
“When he left, he had a maize crop that was still to mature but then he must understand that the new farmer also planted his own crop of maize. My son also looked after the maize crop left by the Boer and he has a right to it.”
Joubert was evicted from Stilfontein Farm in Chipinge early this year by Porusingazi who arrived at the farmbrandishing an offer letter and declared the property his. Joubert is a South African national, but Porusingazi yesterday referred to him as an “unrepentant Boer” who was disturbing the peace of new farmers. He accused Joubert of making countless court applications trying to take back the farm and vowing he would eventually get it back somehow.
“We do not know where he gets that confidence from. He actually believes he is going to return but we will resist that. The man is a Boer from South Africa; a real Boer, the likes of Eugene Terre’ Blanche. He was cruel to the people of this area and everyone is celebrating his eviction, “said Porushingazi.
Terre” Blanche is a South African white supremacist who was murdered by his farm workers early this year.
Joubert confirmed in an interview yesterday that he had been kicked off the farm in January and that he wasfighting the eviction in the courts. He said he had left almost everything he owned on the farm.
“The farm is right now being stripped naked. Farm equipment is being removed, my maize is being looted by the tonne and I have no idea what has become of the large herd of cattle we left there because we are not allowed anywhere near the farm.” He said.
He said he had discovered the looting of his maize – at least 150 tonnes in the past week alone – and alleged it was being taken to a farm owned by Enoch Porusingazi in Chipinge. Part of the loot was the 30 tonnes that had been intercepted in Harare on Monday.
“I am a law‐abiding citizen and I am dealing with this farm ownership dispute through legal means. But these people are stripping the farm naked. This is outright theft by people taking advantage of an embattled white farmer, “ Joubert said.“Five 30‐tonne trucks have left the farm laden with my maize in the past five days. The one that has been impounded in Harare had taken maize to a company in Harare; fortunately the company refused to take the consignment and the police arrived just in time.
But Porusingazi said Joubert had abandoned the maize, cattle, macadamia nuts and most of what he had on the farm.
“Wakango simuka akaenda. Wakaramwa. Haana kutora kana n’ombe imwe.” (He just left. He abandoned everything. He didn’t take even one beast) Police at Waterfalls where the truck was impounded referred News Day to police headquarters for comment, but an officer at the stations said the truck had been impounded after a report of stolen maize had been lodged.
“We have since received new instructions to release the truck, but I am not privy to the circumstances surrounding that instruction,” said the officer.
We were unable to speak to Earnest, but his father Porusingazi said his 28‐year old son was a trained farmer whom he was assisting with “mechanization and experience.
“My son is now venturing into poultry,” said Porushingazi.
The maize that he had taken to the company in Harare was meant to make chicken feed. “But this white man blocked the sale. What he must understand is that even though he left a maize crop on the farm, it is no longer his. You know even in our tradition, if you leave your cattle for someone to look after you will have to pay the caretaker with cattle when you come to collect them. So this white man will have to pay in the same manner when or if he is eventually allowed to set foot on the farm,” he said.
But Joubert said he was receiving reports that many of his cattle were dying out of neglect.