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How The Wheel Turns 4th March 2007 BULAWAYO - The government is quietly evicting "unproductive" newly-resettled farmers in Matabeleland South to make way for former white commercial farmers in yet another bizarre twist to the chaotic land reform programme unleashed in 2000. Last week, it emerged that in a case to be heard in the High Court in Bulawayo, two new farmers evicted from the prime farming area of Esigodini are seeking an urgent order declaring their evictions unlawful. Edward Mangena and Malaki Mpofu say Matabeleland South governor, Angeline Masuku, ordered their eviction from Plot Number 2 of Lot 32 and 33 Essexvale Farms after she accused them of underutilising the properties. Ninno Flamino, a commercial farmer who runs Wilsgrove Farms, in the same area, took over the two plots. But Mangena and Mpofu in their application argue that they were evicted without a lawful court order and want to be reinstated. The first respondent is Flamino while Midard Khumalo, the Umzingwane district administrator, is the second, and the officer-in-charge of Esigodini police station, an Inspector Ndlovu is the third. Other respondents are Governor Masuku, National Security, Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement minister, Didymus Mutasa and Kembo Mohadi, the Minister of Home Affairs. Mpofu and Mangena want the respondents interdicted from interfering with the occupation, use and possession of their plots. They want Flamino and Khumalo to pay the costs of the suit. In their founding affidavits, the two say they were allocated the land in 2001 under the fast-track land resettlement programme by Khumalo. Stella Mary Coulson was the previous owner of the farm. Their problems started in 2003 when Masuku visited the farms during the rainy season and accused them of underperforming. She ordered them to hand the properties to Catherine Stone of High Acres and Flamino. Through their lawyer, Sindiso Mazibisa of Cheda & Partners, Mangena and Mpofu argue the governor's order was illegal. They allege that following the order Flamino destroyed their crops and caused their arrest after which they spent 10 days in custody in Esigodini. They were acquitted by a magistrate. "In 2004 we applied for loans through Agribank, which were granted in varying amounts. The Governor once again froze our accounts and had us denied the loans in a bid to have us forcibly evicted from the farms to pave way for Mr Flamino," they allege. In July 2005, Flamino allegedly came to their plots, cut the locks, took away engines, disconnected water and went to ZESA offices to disconnect their electricity supplies and converted the account into his own. The two farmers approached Mutasa to intervene in the dispute and the minister reportedly assured them they were protected by law from any eviction. But they have since been dumped at South Lean Farm, also in Esigodini where they have no offer letters from the government. Mangena and Mpofu argue they cannot engage in farming at their new plots because there are no proper "facilities to engage in agriculture". At the time of going to Press the respondents had not filed opposing papers. The government last week expressed increasing frustration at new farmers allocated land in a haphazard manner who are failing to perform. By Kholwani
Nyathi - Zimbabwe Standard |