Top Zanu PF official in land grab
By Godfrey Mtimba
Thursday, 14 October 2010 17:56
MASVINGO – Zanu PF central committee member, Clemence Makwarimba left a
white commercial farmer Brett Connar and his family destitute after he
grabbed their farm 20km east of Masvingo city, as farm invasions continue
in defiance of the GPA.
Zanu PF officials in Masvingo have embarked on fresh farm invasions as
panic over the issue of governors grips the country after the MDC
protested against the recent reappointments of Zanu PF governors by
President Mugabe saying that it was unconstitutional.
According to investigations made by the Daily News the official fear that
they will never get the opportunity to grab farms if an MDC governor is
appointed, as governors head the provincial lands committee that
redistribute land.
Brett Connar lost his Justice farm to Makwarimba who evicted him with the
help of violent party youth militias who beat up his farm workers last
Saturday and is living in the open with his family that includes his
parents, wife and kids.
Makwarimba, who is also the provincial party secretary for administration
and the Masvingo Rural District Chief Executive Officer is believed to
have been attracted by Connar’s large farm house and heavy farming
machinery.
Connar told the Daily News that he was now leading a destitute life as he
was staying in the open exposed to all forms of hazards and fears for his
elderly parents’ lives.
“Right now I don’t have anywhere to call home that’s why I am staying
here in the open. Makwarimba came and forced me out saying he had been
resettled here by the land redistribution committee headed by the
governor. I tried to resist but he came with violent youths who told us
to take our clothes, blankets and a few food items,” said Connar.
Connar said he lost property worth millions of dollars including a 200
head of cattle to the Zanu PF official.
Some of the property includes a fleet of tractors; combine harvesters,
planters, harrows, irrigation pumps, sprinklers and pipes and scores of
agricultural inputs he had bought in preparation for the coming
agricultural season.
Efforts to get comment from Makwarimba were fruitless.
Masvingo General Agricultural Plantations and Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe
(GAPUZ) lambasted Zanu PF officials for resuming farm invasions.
“We condemn the behaviour by Zanu PF officials who have started fresh
invasions in the province; we have received a lot of reports on farms
that have been invaded over the last two weeks including Connar’s. The
way they are doing it is a direct violation of human rights and they must
stop,” said Merenciana Chikonzi the provincial coordinator of GAPUZ.
Other top officials who have grabbed farms include the provincial
governor, Titus Maluleke, War vets leader Trinos Huruba to name a few