I don’t consult anyone, says lands officer

Leonard Ncube Senior Court Reporter
HWANGE District lands officer Misheck Marandu, who was summoned to explain a land dispute  between a businessman and A1 resettled farmers in Woodlands Farm has told the court he was not obliged to consult anyone when making  decisions.“I do not consult anyone because policy says a district officer can make recommendations to the provincial office,” Marandu told Bulawayo  High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha on Friday.

Advocate Lucas Nkomo representing the villagers had  asked Marandu whether or not he consulted before reallocating the piece of land.
The businessman Lemman Munenekwa who is also a public relations manager of a Bulawayo company, was  allocated 100 hectares on lease basis within Woodlands Farm by Marandu despite the fact the land belonged to 120 farmers.

The farmers were allocated more than 12,000 hectares near Victoria Falls town in 2001.

Munenekwa seeks an eviction order against community board vice chairman, Ward 1 Councillor, Elias Mzamba, Fanisile Nkomo, Philani Weza, Mxolisi Nkomo, State Weza and Nkosilathi Ngwenya who he said represent the entire community.

Christopher Dube-Banda, of Dube-Banda, Nzarayapenga and Partners is representing Munenekwa. Marandu claims villagers blocked occupation of Elephant Camp measuring five hectares within Woodlands Farm.

“There are two camps namely Old Elephant Camp and Hunting Camp within Woodlands Farm. Elephant Camp doesn’t belong to the community because they were told that the infrastructure that they found there belongs to the State. So Munenekwa has the right to evict them,” Marandu told the judge.

He told the court that he faced resistance from villagers when he went to introduce Munenekwa in the company of police officers.
Adv Nkomo  asked Marandu why he allocated Munenekwa 100 hectares when Old Elephant Camp was only five hectares.

Maarandu said it was government policy for his office to allocate infrastructure on any land but failed to produce evidence of the policy, which he said was with the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.

It emerged that Marandu allocated Munenekwa the piece of land worth $5,000 per annum in rentals  on a five-year lease without the involvement of the district and provincial land committees or the   villagers.

In his defence Marandu said “the lands committee was not involved in issues to do with management of estates.”

The court heard that villagers were paying rent and other bills for the contentious property to the local authority because it was theirs.
Marandu couldn’t deny it.

“If they are paying, they know what they are paying for. It is not my business,” said Marandu.

Villagers once leased Old Elephant Camp to Wild Horizons, which left the infrastructure vandalised when it moved out in 2007, the court heard.

The community refurbished it and built a five-star camp, which was opened by former governor Thokozile Mathuthu, the court heard.