adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
MANICALAND Provincial Affairs Minister, Cde Mandi Chimene’s takeover of a wildlife conservancy in Headlands is being met with resistance from Mrs Christine Murembwe who is claiming entitlement to the property.
Mrs Murembwe has since taken occupation of the main farmhouse.
She moved in immediately after the white farmer, Mr Gordon Taylor, exited the 1 117-hectares Mona Agro-Tourism Farm last Saturday.
Mrs Murembwe has for the past few years been staying in one of the houses at the farm.
On Monday, Cde Chimene moved into the house vacated by Mrs Murembwe.
The Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora issued Cde Chimene an offer letter on February 17, 2015.
This follows a withdrawal of the offer letter initially issued to Mrs Murembwe on the same day.
Mrs Murembwe has since challenged the legality of her eviction at the High Court.
Mr Taylor said he was “coerced into a partnership with Mrs Murembwe” by former powerful Cabinet Minister Mr Didymus Mutasa during his reign over the lands portfolio.
Mrs Murembwe served as the Headlands constituency secretary during Mr Mutasa’s era as a legislator.
Mrs Murembwe said she has dragged ministers Mombeshora and Chimene to the High Court for protection.
“I have been staying at the farm for years and the two houses at the farm are mine and the onus is on me to choose which one to stay in. I have since moved into the main house left by Gordon Taylor last Saturday,” said Mrs Murembwe.
She claimed she obtained an order interdicting Cde Chimene from interfering with her operations at the farm.
“The Minister (Cde Chimene), who should uphold the law, has violated the order by breaking into the house I vacated and deployed some youths there. I was served with a withdrawal of offer letter dated February 17, 2015 on April 3, 2015.
“I contested it at the High Court. I am black like her and she cannot push me out. This is my source of livelihood. I have a right to land like any other Zimbabwean.
“They should not use the fact that I had a partnership with Gordon Taylor to throw me out.
“The Minister of Lands was supposed to consider my interests first,” said Mrs Murembwe.
Cde Chimene was not readily available for a comment when contacted for a comment on Wednesday.
A male person who answered her mobile phone said Cde Chimene was unwell. I am sorry; the Minister cannot talk to you.
“She has a toothache,” he said before switching off the phone.
Mr Taylor said he moved out following indications by Cde Chimene last Friday that the mandatory 90 days he had been given to wind up his operations had lapsed.
Some of his equipment, which includes two tractors and a Land-cruiser vehicle, was allegedly intercepted by Mrs Murembwe. As of Monday, the intercepted equipment could not be traced.
“Yes we did (moved out),” said Mr Taylor from his new base in Harare.
“I am still negotiating (for the release of the equipment).
“At the moment it is still too complicated to talk about it, especially over the phone.
“I was also told that the wildlife is now the property of the Department of Parks and Wildlife,” said Mr Taylor. When The Manica Post toured the farm on Monday, the bulk of the equipment had been stripped.
Valuable equipment like tractors, ploughs, disc harrows, browsers, irrigation equipment and vehicles had been moved out.
Morale among workers was low as they pondered their next move.
The workers did not know where to report to.
“Both approached us separately, claiming ownership of the farm. They both said they are the new owners and hence our employers.
“We do not know who to report to. There is total confusion,” said one farm worker who refused to be named.
One of the youths deployed by Cde Chimene had this to say: “We have been offered temporary accommodation here by Minister Chimene and tasked to look after her property. We moved into this house after realising that Murembwe had occupied the main house,” said the youth.
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