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Nose in the Trough 17th January 2003 ZANU PF stalwart Chester Nhamo Mhende has allegedly chased away Joe Whaley, owner of a Norton farm, and is using the equipment on the farm without having paid for it. The government last week admitted that the land reform programme was chaotic resulting in haphazard allocations. Top Zanu PF and government officials have helped themselves to prime farms in the process. Mhende participated in the Zanu PF primary elections for the 2000 parliamentary election for the Harare North Constituency and lost to Nyasha Chikwinya, who was subsequently defeated by Trudy Stevenson of the MDC. Whaley said in an interview: "My farm is 119 hectares and does not fall in the government criteria of acquisition. It is my only farm. It has been my only home since 1980." According to the government's maximum size criteria for compulsory land acquisition, a farm measuring less than 400 ha should not be acquired. Whaley, who is now living in Harare, alleged that Mhende had paid him nothing, but he was using his equipment, living in his farmhouse as well as harvesting his crops. Whaley said he was allegedly threatened with death by war veterans hired by Mhende when he tried to retrieve his movable property on the farm. Whaley was issued with an eviction order which expired in October last year. He is challenging the eviction in the courts. Whaley said: "No inventory was done on my property and I have no offers for compensation. I left 20ha of tobacco, 30ha of burley and 70 head of cattle, but have received nothing from Mhende. "Mhende claims he has paid me, but that is a complete fabrication. He has pulled out my flowers worth US$125 000 (Z$6,875 million) and I have lost production capacity of 900 000 broiler chickens." He is claiming $400 million from Mhende for his immovable property only. Mhende said he had applied for the land and the government offered him Whaley's Crebilly Farm. He said in a telephone interview: "I paid US$100 000 to Whaley for the roses and the farm implements. I do not understand why he continues to harass me." He said in a Magistrates' Court affidavit where he claimed to have paid Whaley: "In mid-October I paid US$100 000 to the Governor for Mashonaland West Province, Mr Peter Chanetsa, in the presence of the Respondent (Whaley). "The amount represented the purchase of the farm, farm implements and vehicles and payment was made on a walk-in walk-out basis." Chanetsa refused to comment on the grounds that the issue was now subject to court proceedings. When this reporter insisted on having a comment, Chanetsa said: "The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement is the authority which gives land. The land issue is a sensitive issue. Call my secretary and make an appointment to see me." When contacted on Tuesday, Chanetsa's secretary was not in the office. Mhende said he has been requesting to meet Whaley to discuss outstanding issues especially on payment for the tobacco crop and chickens, but Whaley had refused to talk to him. Whaley said he now preferred speaking to Mhende only through his lawyers By Takaitei Bote
Farming Editor – Daily News |