Zanu PF invaders parcel out Glen Forest Farm
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
Friday, 24 September 2010 16:08
ZANU PF members who invaded Glen Forest Farm just outside Harare are selling
the land under the name of the late Joanna Mafuyana, wife of Zimbabwe’s
founding father, Joshua Nkomo, who died in 1999, the Zimbabwe Independent
has established.
The case highlights the porous nature of government’s land reforms and how
productive land grabbed from white farmers has turned fallow and is being
used for speculative purposes.
Mama Mafuyana, as the late vice-president’s wife is popularly known, died in
2003, but her name remains a cash cow for a clique that has been parcelling
out pieces of the land for as much as US$10 000 per 0,2 hectares.
Government forced out the owners of Glen Forest farm for urban expansion
purposes and allocated land to a housing project for Zanu PF supporters.
Most of the farm, previously a thriving maize and cattle operation, is now
under the hammer.
A real estate agent selling the land said individual beneficiaries were
queuing up to dispose of the land for cash.
Posing as a prospective buyer, a Zimbabwe Independent reporter was offered
part of the land, but was told to wait for two months for “papers to be
regularised”. Fingold Real Estate agency has been conducting the sales.
The firm’s managing director, only identified as Mrs V Aleck, said sales had
temporarily been stopped because of problems in locking in transfers to new
owners.
“Currently there are no title deeds, maybe if you can check after two
months,” she said.
The late Mama Mafuyana’s daughter, Thandiwe Nkomo, said she was aware of the
housing project, but had no idea that beneficiaries were now selling the
land. She said her family was not involved in the running of the project.
“I can’t remember who is behind the housing cooperative. It’s been years
since I last interacted with people from the Mama Mafuyana Housing
Cooperative,” she said.
Commercial Farmers Union president Deon Theron said his organisation, which
represents most of the evicted white farmers, had received such a report.
Most of the people who were allocated the land were Zanu PF supporters.
“It’s a criminal offence because no one can sell land that was acquired by
the government, especially without title deeds,” he said.
Lands and Resettlement minister Hebert Murerwa was unavailable for comment.
The land, identified in acquisition papers as Remaining Extent of Glen
Forest of Borrowdale Estate, measures 149,029 hectares and was invaded by
militants loyal to President Robert Mugabe in 2002 during the haphazard farm
occupations. It officially became state land under the Constitutional
Amendment Number 17 of 2005.- Staff Writer.