Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Cde Christopher Chingosho has petitioned the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement to withdraw an offer letter for two pieces of land granted to a United States of America-based farmer, Mrs Sarayi Nyamuswa, owing to her failure to utilise the farms.
Mrs Nyamuswa was allocated two farms — Sub-division 54 (218 ha) and 55 (124.5ha) on Wensleydale Estate in 2008.
At the centre of the bitter wrangle is the alleged running down of Wensleydale Training Centre by Mrs Nyamuswa.
Wensleydale is a local vocational training centre which was officially opened by President Mugabe in 1991.
Deputy Minister Chingosho recently wrote to Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora imploring him to revoke Mrs Nyamuswa’s offer letter.
He said some of the classrooms at the training centre were being used to house livestock.
Reads part of the letter: “Sarayi Nyamuswa lives in the United States. She was allocated Sub-division 54 (218 ha) and 55 (124.5ha) on Wensleydale Estate.
“Sarayi Nyamuswa herself who is the offer letter holder is an absentee landlord. She lives in the United States. Wensleydale Training Centre is in Nyamuswa’s Sub-division 54. It was officially opened by his Excellency President Mugabe on 30 May 1991 as an agriculture training centre and bears the presidential plaque.
“The centre is being vandalised and Sarayi Nyamuswa is using the training centre classrooms as kraals for her about 19 cattle. The local community, which is up in arms against this misuse, convened an urgent meeting where I was invited as the local MP.”
Deputy Minister Chingosho said the meeting of local leaders resolved that, “the two sub-divisions 54 and 55 be withdrawn and reallocated.
“Allow Africa Ahead, a donor organisation whose country director is Mr Regis Matimati, which is prepared to revive the training centre, to run the training centre.
“This will benefit both the local community and the nation at large. Sub-division 55 should be parceled out into 5-ha plots to benefit more people, especially the land hungry youths who will utilise the used existing irrigation infrastructure supplied by the existing huge dam.
“Wensleydale Estate, which has about 18 000ha with irrigation infrastructure where the two sub-divisions are located, is unused wasted land which could benefit the nation.
“Your provincial lands officer, Mr Mukoyi, visited the area about a week ago. He can be witness, but I strongly recommend that there is urgent need for you or your deputy to personally visit the place so that you see it for yourself.” Herald
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