BY MOSES MATENGA

FORMER Local Government minister and Zanu PF political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere’s Mazowe Farm has been repossessed by government with the exiled politician accusing President Emmerson Mnangagwa of engaging in petty politics to victimise opponents.

Kasukuwere was a key member of the G40 cabal that was targeted by a military coup in November 2017 that saw the ouster of the later former President Robert Mugabe from power.

In a letter to Kasukuwere signed by Lands minister Perrance Shiri, government said it was withdrawing its offer for the land for downsizing purposes.

“Notice of intention to withdraw land offer under the land reform and resettlement programme (model A2, Phase 2). Notice is hereby given that the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement intends to withdraw the offer of land made to you in respect of Subdivision whole measuring 556,617 ha of R/E of Concorpia Farm in the district of Mazowe in Mashonaland Central province,” the letter dated December 17, 2019 read in part.

“The reasons for the withdrawals are for downsizing for planning purposes. You are invited to make any representations you may have in this matter in writing within seven days of receipt of this notification. All correspondence in this regard should be directed to the minister.”

The letter was delivered yesterday to Kasukuwere’s farm manager Shepherd Siyanganga.

Kasukuwere breathed fire accusing Mnangagwa of being petty and targeting perceived political rivals.

Kasukuwere’s ally and former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo also had his farm taken by government last month.

“Obviously we will go to court,” Kasukuwere said.

He said the farm was legally acquired and a lot of investment including irrigation facilities, a school, roads among other projects were made on the piece of land.

“We know it’s targeted. A lot has been happening against this very person ever since the coup and largely to try and destroy what we have worked for. Government is using land to attack those they think are against them. That is pettiness and we must be above that. We have many challenges affecting the country that we have to deal with,” he said.

“The systematic attack on our economic assets has been going on and it is driven right at the top,” Kasukuwere fumed accusing the Mnangagwa administration of working towards undermining some tribes.

“This is sad and unfortunate,” he said.

On the arrest of his younger brother Tichaona, Kasukuwere said: “He has been arrested. He is with (police) Law and Order currently. He is a quiet and solid businessman with no interest in politics. If they want me, they should say so and stop targeting my siblings.”

He accused Mnangagwa of being vengeful and taking over power in the ruling party against the will of the people.

Several Ministers linked to Mugabe were forced out of the country after the military takeover and are plotting a comeback under different projects.

These include former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi who fronts the People’s Party project and Patrick Zhuwao who recently applied to join South African opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters.

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BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

The large baobab tree could be seen from a distance as it protruded in the sparse bushes of rural Mt Darwin. The existence of this giant flora tells the story of an arid region, characterised by high temperatures and frequent droughts.

But under the baobab tree were lavishly growing plants that provided an eye-catching panorama.

The greenery under the and all round the massive baobab tree is Mt Darwin’s Majerejere Nutrition Garden, a success story that has become an example of how marginalised communities can alleviate hunger and improve nutrition through the use of modern irrigation technologies.

The garden was developed in 2018 and since then has improved access to nutrition for 545 households with 2 700 people. In total, the project has benefited 4 700 people.

The surrounding community is also indirectly benefitting by purchasing fresh vegetables from the garden and drawing water from the borehole.

The garden, stretching for over six hectares, offers a variety of vegetables, fruit trees, maize and boasts of two solar-powered boreholes, a project that has brought relief to the poverty-stricken communities, who are currently also benefitting from clean water for consumption as well as watering their livestock.

The World Food Programme (WFP)’s Food Assistance for Assets (FAA) programme in Mt Darwin is being implemented through a partnership with World Vision and Plan International, while being funded by the Japanese government.

The project has turned this patched corner of Mt Darwin into a thriving greenbelt through solar-powered irrigation projects that have enabled villagers to produce all-year round.

Climate change effects have had a heavy toll on Zimbabwe, with close to seven million people in both rural and urban areas in dire need of food assistance this lean season, according to latest findings by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee.

“Our food for assets programme in Mt Darwin is helping communities increase food productivity, reduce the impact of climate shocks and strengthen resilience to natural disasters by creating productive assets. The communities are equipped with skills like smart agriculture techniques and soil water conservation techniques that preserve natural resources,” WFP country director Eddie Rowe said.

“In addition, work was done to reclaim watersheds, thereby protecting community woodlots. These efforts will overtime improve water management and increase vegetation cover. Communities were taught composting and the farmers were encouraged to plant drought-tolerant crops which are less susceptible to erratic rains. Members of the nutritional garden do not only have food on their table throughout the year, but are also able to access diverse and nutritionally rich food.”

Government has been relying on donor funding, while there has been no meaningful efforts to increase agricultural production through employing modern technologies and empowering villagers to become self-sustainable.

Speaking during the handover of Majerere Nutritional Garden, Japanese ambassador Toshiyuki Iwado said it was high time the country seriously tackled the issue of food insecurity and come up with ways of improving productivity.

“And donors, including Japan, have continued to provide support for the most food insecure communities in Zimbabwe for many years. Our assistance and that of other donor countries can only support the efforts of Zimbabweans, so I strongly urge the government to seriously consider the issue of food insecurity and come up with ways of ensuring food security for its people,” he said.

The negative effects of climate change have resulted in the country facing massive food shortages, with government mulling to implement the smart agriculture concept to mitigate hunger.

Government introduced the Command Agriculture scheme a few years ago hopi ng to financially empower both communal and commercial farmers, while others received farming equipment from other countries. However, the programme failed to address the major problem of hunger due to droughts and corruption.

With the wrath of successive droughts still expected in Mt Darwin district, thousands of villagers have something to smile about as the garden project has proved to be a success.
The Majerejere project is an epitome of how government can empower its own people to eradicate hunger and enhance food security.

BY MOSES MATENGA

VIOLENCE broke out between Zanu PF and opposition MDC youths in Mbare yesterday, a day after the opposition leader Nelson Chamisa addressed supporters in the volatile suburb.

Three MDC supporters were reportedly arrested while Zanu PF claimed three of its youth leaders were hospitalised after the violent clashes.

Zanu PF district co-ordinating committee secretary for youth affairs, Emmanuel Mahachi, said violence broke out after suspected MDC youths attacked ruling party cadres during a clean-up exercise.

“There was a clean-up campaign and in the process, they passed through a place where some were not happy with the programme. They started
throwing stones, attacking them. I was shocked by the reaction,” he alleged.

“We called police to the place and they arrived to calm down the situation. People were injured including the secretary for environment who was leading the programme, secretary for health and one of our youths. They were taken to hospital,” he said.

“A report was made at Matapi Police Station.”

However, MDC youth secretary for Harare province Denford Ngadziore blamed Zanu PF youths for the violence.

“Zanu PF pretended to be mobilising its supporters for a clean-up campaign but later went to the market operated by MDC youths and vandalised property,” Ngadziore said.

“MDC youths went to report the matter at Matapi Police Station but they were detained. We are not surprised by Zanu PF’s actions. We have a duty to stop this now and forever.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the skirmishes, but said the details were still sketchy.

“Police are investigating issues said to have happened in Mbare but currently details are not yet clear so we will only be able to shed light in due course,” Nyathi said.

When NewsDay visited Mbare in the afternoon yesterday, MDC youths were being addressed by local legislator Starman Chamisa after the violent clashes.

The MDC youths said the violent clashes started when Zanu PF mobilised for a meeting at their party offices in the area before attacking a building occupied by opposition members where they allegedly pulled down the party flag.

“They came mobilising vendors for a meeting and when they got here, they started throwing stones, destroying the building. People where not happy with their actions and retaliated and they fled the scene. They reinforced and came back and police managed to calm the situation,” one of the MDC youths said.

The opposition party later released a statement saying Zanu PF youths armed with machetes and logs went on the rampage in Mbare, indiscriminately attacking residents.

“The Zanu PF youths (ran) amok and wreaked havoc by attacking residents and dispersing any group of innocent residents going about their business,” deputy party spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said in a statement.

At the time of going to print, MP Chamisa was reportedlyholed up in a police station, hiding from the marauding gang who were “baying” for his blood.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

INDEPENDENT election watchdog, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn), has blamed lack of proper succession planning in Zanu PF and the MDC for causing instability in the country. Zesn cited the proposed changes to the Constitutional Amendment Bill as a case in point.

The Bill, meant to remove the presidential running mates to allow the President to appoint and fire his deputies at will, has come under heavy criticism.

Analysts said President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has already been endorsed as Zanu PF’s 2023 presidential candidate, seeks to consolidate his rule through the Bill.

Zesn argued that the Bill was a result of lack of proper succession plans in both Zanu PF and the opposition. Running mates guarantee a smooth transition and succession, Zesn added.

“Internal political instability of both the ruling Zanu PF party and the main opposition MDC Alliance have been largely informed by the apparent lack of a succession plan in both parties,” the Zesn argued.

“This gap has had a significant knock-on effect on the political stability of the government and the nation at large as internal party fights have often spilled into government.

“The running mate clause provision was going to support as well as formalise the selection of vice-presidents of the respective political parties, hence provide a measure of predictability and stability in the leadership transition processes whenever they occurred at both party or government level.”

The late former President Robert Mugabe had not appointed a successor until he was removed from office in November 2017.

The MDC was also hit with infighting over the presidency following the death of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018. The fight for the control of the party spilled into the courts as warring sides claimed they were the legitimate successors.

by Richard Muponde

TWO Chipinge brothers have been dragged to court by their sibling whom they threatened to kill with machetes in a feud over land and a homestead left by their late father.

Jimmy and Justice Mavenge were brought before Chipinge magistrate Joshua Nembaware by their sibling Moses who was seeking a protection order against them.

“The respondents are my step brothers. They behave violently against me and my wife. They want me to leave my homestead and land that was left by our father. They are ordering me to go to my mother’s relatives,” said Moses.

“They insult me and my wife, threatening us with machetes which they move around with. They told me that if I continued living there they would chop me and my wife to pieces with the machetes.

“They are stealing my bananas and destroying my banana trees to force me to leave my land and homestead. I no longer have peace and am now living in fear that the respondents might chop me or my wife. I am therefore applying for a protection order against the two respondents so that I will not live in fear anymore.”

However his brothers denied threatening to kill him or chase him away from the land. The two said Moses was not co-operating with them in finding solutions to a number of deaths which had been occurring in the family.

“We deny ever threatening the applicant with death or chasing him away from the land and his homestead. There have been a number of deaths which have been occurring in our family and the chief advised us to consult on the causes and the applicant has been refusing to go with us to traditional healers,” they said.

Nembaware granted the order and ordered the two brothers not to physically assault the complainant.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

GOVERNMENT has set up a commission of inquiry to investigate reports of alleged corruption and abuse of funds by MDC councillors in Marondera town.

The investigations come after residents prepared a dossier against the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC councillors who are accused of milking council through “useless trips and workshops” among other allegations.

Local Government deputy minister Marian Chombo yesterday confirmed the setting up of a probe team to look into the matter with the preliminary investigations beginning next Monday.

“I confirm government received a report from residents in Marondera. We have set up a commission of inquiry that is yet to be approved by relevant authorities. However, we have also asked one of the directors to come to Marondera for preliminary investigations before the commission takes over. The director will be in Marondera on Monday,” she said.

In a petition signed by more than 1 500 residents and addressed to Local Government ministry, the councillors are said to have at one point allegedly demanded money from council saying they wanted to travel to Zvimba for the late former President Robert Mugabe’s funeral, a move that was meant for monetary benefit.

“During the funeral of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, all councillors claimed three days, three nights allowances on the pretext that they were attending his funeral. They got mileage and full tanks for their cars from council. They did not attend the funeral,” read the petition.

The petition also accused the councillors of going on trips outside town disguised as “look and learn” journeys in a bid to fatten their pockets.

“All councillors are travelling out of town on adventures disguised as look and learn. The trips are taking place twice a month with each tour taking between four and five days. They trips are money-spinning games which run in the face of a government directive not to engage in such without the express authority by the minister. Thousands of dollars are gobbled as councillors claim T/S (travel and subsistence allowances) and mileage for their cars which is pegged at $5 per kilometre. To us this is a sure Ponzi scheme,” read the petition. The MDC has 11 councillors in Marondera Town while Zanu PF has one.

In the petition, the councillors are also being accused of acquiring residential stands within a year of taking oath of office.

The municipality has since given each councillor a residential stand saying it is their privilege.

Some of the councillors are accused of regularising a fraudulent land deal between council and a private company.

Chamisa on Tuesday threatened to recall incompetent and corrupt councillors.

BY SIBONGINKOSI MAPHOSA / NQOBANI NDLOVU

THE European Union (EU) has sunk €7,3 million into the value chain alliance for livestock upgrading empowerment (Value) project on pigs and goats targeting 856 000 small-scale farmers.

The EU-funded project, which runs till January 2023, is being implemented in Manicaland, Matabeleland South and North, Mashonaland Central, East and West with ActionAid as the lead implementing organisation working with private partners such as Mercy Corps, Shamiso, Zvikomborero, Michview and Braford farms.

A total of 224 Kalahari Red, Boer and Saneen goat breeds were imported from Namibia in December as part of the Value, which is run under the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) to capacitate smallholder farmers. This is meant to improve their goat and pig breeds, production and productivity with a view to commercialise their farming activities.

Women and youth are set to benefit from the project. ActionAid team leader Newton Chari said after doing consultations in Matabeleland North and South they discovered that most people who were into goat production were women.

“After doing our consultations we discovered that women were the most active in goat production and because of that discovery we are going to engage women and youth in proper training, working hand in glove with the Pig Industry Board (PIB) to make them learn how to commercialise their goats and pigs,” Chari said.

Chari encouraged goat farmers to try exotic breeds like the Boer and the Red Kalahari to improve the quality of goats they produce.

“I would like to challenge goat farmers to make a profit by cross breeding their goats with exotic ones like the Red Kalahari and the Boer goat so as to produce good quality goats which in turn will bring them money,” Chari said.

Michview technical manager, Lindani Ncube added: “The project seeks to basically improve goat commercialisation in the country. As you have seen all along, people have not been commercialising the goat industry.”

Michview is undertaking the programme in six districts in the Matabeleland region; namely Beitbridge, Matobo, Lupane, Nkayi, Binga and Gwanda with Zvikomborero Farm overseeing the programme in six districts from Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland provinces.

Bulawayo and Harare are two major consumers of goat meat according to a research conducted by ActionAid Zimbabwe while Beitbridge has the highest number of goats followed by Gwanda.