Jokonya, also a former Information minister, died on June 24, 2006 and left Elvington Farm, popularly known as KwaJokonya, a private property he had purchased in 1992.
The farm, measuring 424 hectares, has title deeds.
A family spokesperson, Bester Jokonya, yesterday told NewsDay Weekender that they woke up on June 6 to witness some men, claiming to have been sent by an army colonel, erecting a fence on the other part of the farm.
He claimed that the invasion affected about 300ha of the farm.
“We woke up to see some men erecting a fence on the other part of the farm. It was shocking,” Bester said.
“We questioned them why they were doing that and we were told that they were sent by an army officer by the name Colonel Kennedy Makavanga.
“We made contact with the soldier, who told us that he was given the same farm by the Lands ministry.
“We inquired from the government through the Lands ministry in Mashonaland East province and we were told that there was no such arrangement.”
Jokonya’s farm is currently thriving with horticulture products as well as cattle ranching, according to the family.
“The farm is a private property, with title deeds and we are living in fear of army officials who invade our spaces despite a mandate of protecting us. Our mother (the late Jokonya’s widow) is traumatised,” the family spokesperson added.
“We reported the matter to the police and some arrests were made. We just want this soldier to leave the farm and respect the country’s property rights.”
A total of eight people, who erected a fence at Jokonya’s farm, were on Wednesday arrested by police in Beatrice. They were all charged with criminal trespassing.
The accused appeared before the court in Beatrice yesterday facing a charge of criminal trespassing.
According to court papers, the arrested are Cephas Ndiripo (47), Newton Mafoti (46), Honest Tarugarira (30), Ashley Chimbare (22), Dean Nyagona (26), Naison Mbara (23), Panashe Weju (23) and Aaron Mushamu (30).
They were remanded in custody until Monday for bail hearing.
According to the State, the police were first notified of the farm invasion on June 6, but the suspects fled from the scene after police details reacted to the call.
On June 25, the suspects returned to the farm and continued to erect a barbed wire fence before the farm manager notified the police of their presence.
The eight men were subsequently arrested and told the courts that they were contracted to erect the barbed wire fence by one Shadrack Chimbare, who stays in Chivhu.
Chimbare is reportedly working under Makavanga.
Makavanga was not picking calls on his mobile phone yesterday.
Efforts to get a comment from Mashonaland East provincial lands offices were also in vain.
Jokonya died in his hotel room in Harare and was declared a national hero.
Before being appointed Information minister by the President, the late Robert Mugabe, in 2005 upon his return from the diplomatic mission, Jokonya was Zimbabwe’s ambassador to the United Nations.
He was buried at the National Heroes Acre. Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment