War Vets Invade Farm Belonging To Tsvangirai’s Senior Official
Rusape, August 24, 2012 – A group of Zanu (PF) activists numbering about 200
on Thursday invaded a farm belonging to Norman Sachikonye, the principal
director in the Prime Minister’s Office and an aspiring MDC-T parliamentary
candidate for Makoni central.
The land invaders who were singing and dancing to Zanu (PF) and liberation
war songs and clad in Zanu (PF) regalia, descended onto the aspiring
legislator’s Zimati Kop farm and started pegging and haphazardly allocating
stands among themselves.
The invaders were allegedly being led and encouraged by an official
identified as Rusape Town Council acting secretary Darlington Museka.
Sources who witnessed the invasion said police officers who were present did
not say or do anything to stop the invasion.
Sachikonye, last week, publicly declared his interest to represent Makoni
Central on an MDC-T ticket.
Radio VOP spoke to Sachikonye who said the land, which is 1km from Rusape
Town Centre, was actually meant for the development of a residential area.
“The invaders are back today (Thursday 23 August, 2012) on the land and they
are continuing from where they left. After I reported the matter to the
police yesterday they wanted me to give them more information on how we
acquired the land. We actually have a certificate of no present interest
from the Ministry of Lands which we got in 2010,” said Sachikonye.
He said they were in the process of selling housing stands to individuals as
the 1 115 hectares piece of land is to be developed into a residential area.
“The police told me that they want a complete file of the circumstances on
how we acquired the land and that is what we are going to do now. I have
title deeds to the land and I am sure the documentation is going to be
helpful,” added Sachikonye.
He said a meeting between the police and the leaders of the invaders has
been set for today.
Farm invasions have continued in Zimbabwe more than ten years after the
government launched the chaotic land reform programme. In recent weeks,
there has been a renewed spat of farm invasions in the countryside as
political activists, disguised as war veterans, take advantage of the
increased talk of elections to seize farms.