HARARE - A Zanu PF councillor in Hurungwe East has grabbed a farm from a resettled farmer ostensibly because he backs Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC.
 
Zanu PF councillor for ward 3 Eddy Ndlovu on Sunday gave the farmer John Clever Dindiwe one week ultimatum to vacate Plot No. 15 Pangwarati saying he did not deserve the farm given his MDC links. Dindiwe has an offer letter from the Lands ministry.

Dindiwe, who is the MDC Mashonaland West provincial secretary for finance and economics and also runs a night club at Nyamakate Business Centre, confirmed he had been ordered to vacate his two-hectare farm under a tobacco crop, another two hectares with potatoes and one hectare under maize.

“Zanu PF has ordered me to leave my farm this morning saying my political affiliation does not qualify me to be a landowner,” Dindiwe told the Daily News.

“They are jealous of my tobacco crop as well as my potatoes. I have my resources to be productive on the land which is why I chose to also get the land.”

He said the farm was legally allocated to him in 2000.

“I was then issued with another offer letter in 2007 after these people (Zanu PF) attempted to
repossess my farm again so I have two letters from the Lands ministry,” he said. “I have reported to the police — RRB number 1595092, so I eagerly await the police action.”

Officer-in-charge of Karoi Rural Police Post, (where the matter was reported) who only identified himself as Sithole said: “I am not at work now so I cannot comment right away. Why don’t you call the office to verify?”

Officers at the police station declined to comment citing protocol.

Ndlovu confirmed he wanted Dindiwe out, but claimed the land belonged to a deceased Zanu PF member, one Chifamba.

“How can he inherit Chifamba’s wealth when he has a family?” Ndlovu asked.

“His son was young when he took that land and now that he is grown up it is our responsibility as leaders to look after his welfare. Moreover, the land reform programme is a Zanu PF project so Dindiwe must just vacate and let the rightful owners of the land use it.”

He claimed Dindiwe’s offer letter was fake.

“It is true that he was issued offer letters but they are fake, I saw them,” he claimed. “You can check with the district administrator (DA) who is the chairperson of the Lands Committee.”

The DA was unreachable for comment.

Two weeks ago, another MDC activist Mark Manhenga, who is the MDC deputy organising secretary for Hurungwe West, was ordered to vacate the land he inherited 10 years ago from his late parents by Chief Dendera — who is loyal to Zanu PF.

The purge of MDC supporters in the province, which is home to President Robert Mugabe, is intensifying as the country hurtles towards a fresh poll. - Mugove Tafirenyika