Mugabe deploys riot police to kick out land invaders
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Jane Makoni
Thursday, 16 September 2010 07:11
MARONDERA-SVOSVE – Zanu (PF) youths who invaded Eldorado Ranch in Macheke
last Saturday, were chased off the land by heavily armed riot police
allegedly sent by President Robert Mugabe, The Zimbabwean can reveal.
Rowdy youths led by Zanu (PF) ward 21 councilor, Huni and party ward 18
chairman, Gombiro, besieged Eldorado Ranch and forced farm workers to stop
planting tobacco seedlings in the fields. They divided the farm into small
plots which they allocated to youths present. Management raised the alarm
and farm owner, Khalfan Khamao, alerted Zanu (PF) top officials who
dispatched riot police to drive the invaders off the land.
Leaders of the invasion were taken to the police for questioning and then
released. Normalcy was restored at the farm,” said a police officer privy to
the invasion.
Highly placed sources allege that Khamao, believed to be of Arabic origin,
supplied the Zimbabwe National Army with fire-arms, “so there was no way the
head of state could fold his arms while the trusted arms supplier was messed
up by rowdy party youths”.
“Khamao is so close to Mugabe that he regularly supplies the first family
with game meat. Part of Eldorado Ranch was partitioned into a Game Park. The
Game Park measures more than 2 000 hectares and is home to a wide variety of
wildlife,” said the source.
Khamao is reportedly the owner of Catercraft Company. The company provides
catering services at the Harare International Airport. Efforts to seek
comment from Khamao were fruitless. His secretary at Catercraft initially
said he was in a board meeting. The number was later put on continuous voice
mail.
Marondera District Police Spokesperson, Inspector Bhulisani Bhebhe, on
Sunday promised to confirm the farm invasion and riot police incident on
Monday. However, he did not take calls from his mobile number come Monday.
Zanu (PF) is grabbing remaining white owned farms under an operation
code-named “Land for the youths”.