GOVERNMENT has come to the rescue of about 600 farmers at
Mt Olympus in Goromonzi who were being threatened with eviction by former
Finance deputy minister Terence Mukupe to pave way for residential
developments.
The farmers, more than half of whom have government-issued
offer letters, have been living at the farm since 2000 until this year when
Mukupe, through his company Farmtel Investments, claimed that he was offered
the same piece of land by the Local Government ministry then led by Saviour
Kasukuwere.
On Thursday, Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister
Aplonia Munzverengi, who was accompanied by top officials from the Lands
ministry visited the farmers and assured them that they would be spared
eviction while authorities try to find a lasting solution to the impasse.
Munzverengi said the land in question falls under
Mashonaland East province and that those seeking to allocate residential stands
should look somewhere else for land.
“I came here to talk to you after learning of all the
problems you are facing. This land falls under Mashonaland East; you have offer
letters, meaning that you belong here. We looked into the matter and we are still on
the table with relevant authorities for a permanent solution. However, you
belong here and continue with your activities here. Do we have to turn each piece of
land into residential stands? They should look elsewhere not here,” she said.
Mt Olympus Farm, also known as KwaProton, has a total
hectarage of 5 700 hectares with more than 250 resettled farmers yet to get
their offer letters.
Recently, Mukupe who had visited the farmers to distribute
eviction notice, reportedly left in a huff as the angry farmers drove him off
the farm.
The farmers’ spokesperson, one Musungo, said Mukupe had
become a problem, threatening to take over the land despite most of the farmers
being productive.
“We have been farming on this land since 2000 until this
year when some land barons came to disturb our peace by claiming that the land
is theirs. We have more than 324 farmers who were given offer letters in 2010 by
the responsible ministry. This has been our home and we have been very
productive. We participated in command agriculture and we did well among other
projects,” he said.
Most of the farmers are currently on the command poultry
programme that was launched by the local legislator Ozias Bvute last year.
According to government documents, in 2016 Mukupe’s
company, Farmtel Investments was given 100ha in Chishawasha B, with other
companies reportedly belonging to government heavyweights like Nettfields
Investments (Pvt) Ltd and Mahlaba (Pvt) Ltd and Elephant Trust also getting
pieces of the farm which lies along Arcturus Road.
Former Zanu PF youth league boss Kudzanayi Chipanga was
also one of the beneficiaries. Newsday
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