At its last meeting before congress, the executive passed a resolution to “indigenise” the Save Valley Conservancy. Newly elected spokesman Ailess Baloyi confirmed that the party wanted to see whites incorporating blacks in the wildlife industry. “As soon as the politburo adopts our resolution we will move with speed to take over the conservancies,” he said.

Clive Stockhill, former chairman of the sanctuary, said he was not opposed to the indigenisation laws. “But we feel the government has to be careful if it wants this wildlife sanctuary to survive,” he said.

The party has also made another spirited attempt to take over farms owned by Tongaat Hullett, the country’s sole sugar milling giant. An earlier attempt by war veterans to take over farms owned by the sugar milling giant fell through after government opposed it.

Party insiders said former leaders in Masvingo were against the take-overs, but they had been booted out during the run-up to the congress. “Now that a new leadership is in place it wants to do away with all the resolutions made by the old executive. Hence a spirited fresh bid to take over Save Valley conservancy and land belonging to Tongaat Huletts,”said the sources.

President Robert Mugabe and the politburo ordered generals and party bigwigs who had grabbed hunting leases to vacate the sanctuary. Nearly all of them belong to the faction led by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

They inlcude Gutu senator Shuvai Mahofa, the late higher and tertiary education minister Stan Mudenge, former Masvingo governor and resident minister Titus Maluleke, and President of the council of chiefs Fortune Charumbira.