Moyana land row takes new twist

was displaced from his 182 hectare farm where he was specialising in wildlife farming.
Mr Sibindi said he did not get a new offer letter.
“I was displaced and did not get a new offer letter. Presently, I am appealing against the action through the administrators,” he said.
Another affected farmer who had 323 hectares had his farm reduced to 92 hectares.
“I cannot believe that we are being punished to pave way for Moyana. We had invested in the land and some of us had sunk boreholes. The authorities should at least have consulted us before taking action,” he said.
Mr Prince Danda, whose farm was cut to 66 ha from the 152 ha, said he will appeal against the decision.
“This is the only farm I have and I am committed to producing breeding stock for my country,” he said.
The Herald established that Mr Kombo Junior got 312 hectares of land in the new set up.
The farmers queried the authenticity of the new offer letters.
The land dispute arose when Kombo Junior allegedly wanted to take over Calgary Farm.
Farmers who benefited from the land reform programme at Calgary Farm between 2006 and 2008 allege that Dr Moyana sold his farm (Utopia Farm) for residential stands and was now encroaching onto their farms.
Affected farmers allege that Dr Moyana had divided his Utopia Farm into residential stands and wanted to do the same on Calgary Farm.
Commenting on subdividing his farm into residential stands, Dr Moyana said: “I was ordered by Harare City Council to stop farming and currently I do not have any farming land.”
Dr Moyana said the farmers were resisting to move because Kombo Junior was from Manicaland Province.
“The issue is not about farming, but area of origin. Is it Government’s policy that someone from Manicaland should not have a farm in Mashonaland?” he said.
But the farmers said they were not all from Mashonaland Central Province and therefore would not resist anyone from Manicaland.
Some are from Gwanda, Manicaland and Masvingo.
Mr Norbert Mutasa, who now has 50 hectares after 100 hectares were taken, said he also came from Manicaland Province and the reason being given by Dr Moyana was baseless.
The farmers complained that the action taken by Mashonaland Central Governor Martin Dinha will affect their operations.
“We have been on that land since 2005 and now we are given a new offer letter. We had applied for 99-year leases and were in the process of getting them and now we do not know what the future holds for us.
“We are no longer settled and secure therefore we cannot plan. We may wake up landless one day. There is no security even if one has an offer letter,” complained another farmer.
Contacted for comment, former Minister of State for National Security, Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement in the President’s Office, Didymus Mutasa, said he was puzzled by what was taking place.
“I am surprised as you are and I do not know if there was something wrong with the old offer letters that were issued during my term. The present minister may explain better,” he said.
Governor Dinha recently confirmed that the provincial lands committee had recommended that more people be resettled on Calgary Farm, among them Ms Brown and Kombo Junior.
He urged the farmers to approach their districts and lodge complaints if they were not happy with the latest development.
“If they are not satisfied they can go to the provincial land office,” he said.
Minister Murerwa could not be reached for comment as he was in Bulawayo for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
The permanent secretary in the ministry, Mrs Sophia Tsvakwi, said she could not comment and referred all questions to the minister.