Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Cde Joel Biggie Matiza, flanked by Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha (right) and Chief Musarurwa, during a meeting in Chivhu on Monday

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The Mashonaland East provincial leadership will beginning next week, carry out a land audit in the province to address irregularities in land allocation.

This was said by Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Joel Biggie Matiza while addressing Zanu-PF legislators, district and provincial members and traditional leaders from Chikomba district on Monday.

“From next week we will be busy in the boardroom going farm by farm to see who got what and where they are. We want to see which farms are available to resettle our people. There are areas with double allocations and those where some people are fronting for whites and that is what we seek to address,” he said.

His remarks follow an outcry in the province that the Cde Ray Kaukonde-led provincial leadership that was booted out before the 6th Zanu-PF National People’s Congress engaged in corrupt land dealings and protected white farmers when the majority of indigenous people are landless.

Minister Matiza said the province would be guided by the country’s laws and the resolutions passed at congress in allocating land.

He also urged the party and Government leadership in the district to prioritise issues that foster development and desist from pursuing personal interests.

“We want to work together on Government programmes. Politically there were changes that were made, but we should move forward and understand that all programmes that we do are Zanu-PF programmes. We will succeed if we are united,” he said.

Minister Matiza said the priority was the accelerated implementation of Zim-Asset as directed by congress and he urged everyone to exert their energies towards ensuring the successful implementation of the Government economic blueprint.

He also urged Zanu-PF members to respect the interim provincial executive that was put in place before congress.

“That committee that was put in place is the legitimate one as directed by Cde Saviour Kasukuwere (secretary for the Commissariat).

“Do not listen to some groupings that are calling themselves dubious names who are trying to destabilise the party. We have one party, Zanu-PF, one leader President Mugabe and the various leadership of the party so we should respect that protocol,” Minister Matiza said.

Minister Matiza was appointed last month to replace former Minister Simbaneuta Mudarikwa who was fired together with former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru and 13 others