Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu was yesterday accused of invading the hotly contested Esidakeni Farm in Matabeleland North and chasing away workers.
The farm has come under the spotlight after the government
parcelled it out to Mpofu and state security agents as well as National
University of Science and Technology lecturer Dumisani Madzivanyati under
unclear circumstances.
Malunga, Dhlamini and Moyo are challenging the seizure of
the farm in the courts arguing that it was unfairly parcelled out after they
bought it from a white former commercial farmer.
The dispute took a nasty turn yesterday after the alleged
invasion by Mpofu’s son and “scores of people”.
“I just received a message from my partner Zeph Dhlamini at
Esidakeni Farm that Obert Mpofu sent his son and scores of people there,”
Malunga said.
“They are ploughing our fields. They chased our workers
from the irrigation points and threatened them against taking pictures. This is
what Zimbabwe has become.
“We will defend our rights. We will evict them and his
people and we will not rest until he answers for his corrupt and criminal abuse
of power and authority.
“We know we are not his only victims.” He added: “So this
was the cowardly threat he was making: to invade our farm.
“Our fathers and our liberation heroes are surely turning
in their graves. But we will fight Obert Mpofu.
“He does not intimidate us.” Malunga, Moyo and Dhlamini are
challenging Mpofu’s offer letter for part of the property.
Malunga accused Mpofu of “primitive accumulation of
wealth”.
“It’s called primitive accumulation.
“Primitive accumulation because it is primordial,
animalistic, irrational and corrupt.
“Accumulation because it is voracious, expropriatory. It’s
about taking everything from everyone,” he said.
“After initially denying it, Mpofu has now admitted that he
grabbed our farm because he has no farm to grow crops.
“The sense of entitlement is nauseating. The unbridled
greed is shocking. He had to take our farm.
“There is nothing revolutionary about his primitive
accumulation. In time, I will say how he refused to allocate land to me and my
brother Busi 20 years ago after being asked by (late vice-president John
Nkomo).
“Then he takes our farm 21 years later.” Mpofu yesterday
said he does not “respond to nonsense” when contacted for comment.
On Friday, he posted on Twitter: “I proudly possess an
offer later, which was offered after due
process. Fronting whites is not due process but trying to justify an illegality
is criminal.”
Last week, the sheriff of the High Court evicted
Madzivanyati from the farm following a recent High Court order to that effect
notwithstanding an appeal he lodged at the Supreme Court.
Justice Evangelista Kabasa’s October 28 order came after
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese also ordered Madzivanyati to
stop farming activities and return the farm to the owners. Standard
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