Mudenge Elbowed Out Of Farm
19/04/2010 15:25:00
Masvingo, April 19, 2010 – Zanu (PF) heavyweight and Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Stan Mudenge, has succumbed to pressure from boisterous war veterans and abandoned his Chikore farm, south of Masvingo.
The liberation fighters had been camping on the farm for some time, demanding that the minister co-exists with at least 50 families.
Mudenge, has since given in to the war veterans and packed his bags from the farm which he grabbed with the help of war veterans from its previous white owner, Tim Buchan.
Sources revealed to Radio VOP how Mudenge, was forced to bow in to pressure from the combative war veterans led by the self-proclaimed Masvingo provincial chairman, the goat-bearded Isaiah Muzenda, who spearheaded the siege on the minister’s farm.
The Minister is believed to have agreed to pack his bags and allow at least 50 families from Charumbira communal lands on condition that he is allocated another farm.
A triumphant Muzenda, charged that war veterans would continue to deal with greedy politicians who wanted to take advantage of the masses.
”To us it’s a great victory that he has agreed to move out of the farm because he wanted to use the people and dump them and we said no. There were two options, either to co-exist with the families or to leave the farm, and
he was too proud and chose to leave the farm. To us it’s a victory for the people because we have always wanted to have a one man one farm scenario,” said Muzenda.
He added that war veterans would continue invading farms where some powerful politicians were using their political muscle to elbow out the people.
”The land is for the common people not the powerful elite, we will continue to show our power and might to greedy politicians who want to grab everything while the majority suffer,” he added.
Asked for a comment Masvingo provincial governor Titus Maluleke, who chairs the provincial lands committee that allocates land, said:’ ‘Go and talk to the war veterans who claim they have forced the Minister (Mudenge) out of his farm. If they are your source why are you asking me? Just write what you want,” said Maluleke before switching off his phone.
Mudenge ran down Chikore farm after grabbing it from Buchan who ran a successful flower-growing venture under greenhouse. After the take-over by Mudenge the greenhouse was razed down to the ground due to neglect.