We’ll re-invade lake resorts says Zanu PF
Sunday, 30 January 2011 17:50
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
President Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao who is also MP for Zvimba East has
claimed responsibility for the invasions of the tourism facilities around
Lake Chivero and has vowed the invaders who were thrown out by the police
last week will return soon.
It has emerged Zanu PF activists calling themselves war veterans from
President Mugabe’s home district planned the invasion as far back as October
last year.
According to documents obtained by The Standard last week had the invasion
been successful the facilities would have been dolled out to senior Zanu PF
officials, chiefs and top civil servants.
The documents and Zhuwao’s admission in an interview with The Standard
expose as false claims by Zanu PF ministers including Local Government,
Urban and Rural Development minister Ignatius Chombo that the invaders were
criminals who were not connected to the party.
Zhuwao was defiant yesterday saying he agreed with people in his
constituency to “tackle the racists and this time around we are going to
research on the proper procedure and we are going to do it again.”
“Whilst the process and procedure may have needed to be improved, I still
feel, together with the community that there is gross social injustice that
continues to be perpetrated by remnants of racists in most of the clubs,” he
said.
“We will never allow any form of perceived white superiority in any part of
this constituency.”
About 300 rowdy people who were waving Zanu PF flags took over lodges,
boating clubs and chalets on the shores of the lake saying it was part of
the government’s controversial policy to indigenise the economy.
Activities at the popular tourism facilities were brought to a halt until
police flushed out the intruders on Monday.
Vice President Joice Mujuru last week apologised to the owners of the
facilities and Zanu PF officials moved in to do some damage control alleging
the invaders were common criminals.
But documents obtained by this paper from various sources reveal that Zanu
PF and the government were aware of the plans to invade the properties as on
January 6 war veterans from the Sally Mugabe district wrote to Lands, Rural
Resettlement minister Herbert Murerwa outlining their plans.
In the three page letter signed by Aaron Mazvi who led the invasions, the
war veterans make it clear that they are pursuing Zanu PF policies.
Murerwa was asked to facilitate a peaceful take over of the properties.
The letter, titled Occupation of Properties Situated along Lake Chivero” was
copied to Zhuwao, National Parks, Mashonaland West Province governor Faber
Chidarikire, local chiefs and Zanu PF structures.
Resort owners, among them Kuimba Shiri’s Garry Stafford, were accused of
being racist, to justify the invasions.
“We intend to occupy properties along Lake Chivero which have become a
hiding place for former Rhodesian war veterans who have maintained their
racist tendencies in the area,” said the letter.
“The properties constitute mostly chalets and boating clubs which are
operated mostly by white former army and intelligencia (sic).”
Jacana Yacht Club at Lake Chivero, the largest sailing club in the country,
had also been simultaneously invaded clearly indicating the organised and
co-ordinated manner in which the invasions were taking place.
Club officials Tim Cameron and Frances Morris had to seek the assistance of
the toothless Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic), a
creation of the government of national unity (GNU). They also reported the
matter to the police.
Sources said Zanu PF ministers were set to move into the properties soon as
there was no strong opposition to the invasions.
Some of the ministers who had targeted the lodges and the bird sanctuary are
already in conservancy and wildlife business, one source said.
Other documents leaked to The Standard show that the Zimbabwe National
Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) Zvimba district started
initiating the invasions in October last year.
One of the documents shows that the war veterans on October 8 2010 carried
out a “fact finding mission.”
Jacana Yacht Club informed Jomic of the disturbances on October 6 2010.