Zanu PF bigwigs fight over key citrus farms
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
October 26, 2012 in News
ZANU PF bigwigs Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, Mashonaland
Central governor Martin Dinha and Lands and Resettlement minister Hebert
Murerwa, are embroiled in a nasty fight over lucrative citrus farms in
Guruve Rural District Council and other local authorities.
Report by Brian Chitemba
Sources told the Zimbabwe Independent Dinha wrestled eight citrus farms and
allegedly parcelled them out to his close associates under the guise of
repossessing under-utilised farms.
The farms were allocated to the local authorities in the province at the
height of the controversial land reform programme, but a decade later Dinha
unilaterally re-allocated the vast plantations to his business cronies.
At the centre of a storm is Marimambada Citrus Farm which was owned by
Guruve Rural District Council which Dinha allocated a close colleague,
Sydney Gwaze, through the Mashonaland Provincial Lands Committee. Dinha
chairs the lands committee in his capacity as provincial governor.
Dinha issued an offer letter to Gwaze to immediately takeover the vast
Marimambada farm on April 12.
The Guruve District Council has launched a fierce battle to regain control
of the citrus farm which was the local authority’s cash-cow as it was used
as collateral to access credit facilities to finance capital projects.
The council approached Chombo and also filed papers in the High Court to
reverse the reallocation of the property. Chombo opposed the seizure and
confronted Dinha seeking return of all grabbed assets. He also engaged
Murerwa who signed the offer letters at the instigation of Dinha, who
indicated that the farms were under-utilised.
Although Chombo could not be reached for comment, Dinha defended his stance
and vowed never to reverse the citrus farm grabs, saying the Mashonaland
Provincial Lands Committee was in agreement that the plantations were
under-utilised by councils.
“The lands committee decided to re-allocate the farms because councils were
running down the properties,” said Dinha. “We directed that eight farms be
repossessed and allocated to serious farmers because we can’t sit and watch
councils failing to produce,” he said.
He said the lands committee was due to meet to deliberate on the raging
dispute over the repossession of the properties.
Sources said the citrus fruit farms were major sources of cash for the broke
councils and the move by Dinha to re-allocate them has left the local
authorities penniless.
The seizure of the citrus farms is seen as part of an asset grab by senior
Zanu PF officials, some of whom are currently wreaking havoc in the Save
Conservancy.