Former Mazowe Estate residents who were evicted from their
land to pave way for the expansion of late former President Robert Mugabe’s
family business, Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, have made a beeline to the High
Court seeking to evict the ex-First Family’s business from their properties.
On Monday this week, another Mazowe miner, Ngoni Mutopo,
who is one of the victims who were chased away from his operation, petitioned
the court seeking an order to interdict Gushungo Holdings from barring him to
access his gold mining claims.
Mutopo’s application came two weeks after another miner
Langton Chapungu, also petitioned the High Court seeking eviction of Grace
Mugabe together with two other individuals only identified in court papers as
Tongai and Jemwa from Mazowe Citrus Estate.
In his application, Mutopo, accused Gushungo Holdings of
interfering with his operations.
“The applicant (Mutopo) was unlawfully chased from his two
blocks of mines Iron Mask 68 and 69 in Iron Mask Estate in Mazowe, where he has
been lawfully mining and is being denied the right by the respondent (Gushungo
Holdings), who is acting unlawfully and without a court order authorising him
to act in that manner,” Mutopo said in his papers.
“The applicant’s ore on the mining site is being stolen by
illegal panners who are working in cahoots with the respondent’s employees. The
applicant is being prejudiced by the respondent’s unlawful actions, hence is
seeking urgent relief.”
Since Mugabe’s ouster from office in November 2017, the
former First Family has never enjoyed peace following several lawsuits against
them mainly by those whose land was allegedly seized by the once powerful
family.
In his application, Chapungu accused Grace, Tongai and
Jemwa of interfering with his farming activities at his plot.
“The first and second respondents (Tongai and Jemwa) are
doing illegal mining activities in my plot and the third respondent (Grace) is
also doing her farming activities in that same plot of mine, to an extent that
she had even erected some structures at my place,” Chapungu said.
“The defendants have gone further threatening me with
unspecified action if I continue disturbing them from their illegal activities
in my plot. In spite of the demand to vacate, the defendants has refused and
offered flimsy and fabricated reasons to justify their continued illegal stay
at my place, leaving me with no option except to approach this honourable court
for relief.” Newsday
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