Phetshu responds to illegal land sale allegations

Lungile Tshuma
SUSPENDED Zanu-PF Matabeleland South provincial secretary for lands Cde Jabulani Phetshu-Sibanda has distanced himself from the illegal sale of land in Insiza North, claiming that over 2 000 people who are said to have bought land in the area were in fact settled during the land reform process.

Cde Phetshu went on to attack the team which is investigating the matter as “scandalous” and pursuing “hidden political agendas” while describing the council chairperson, Councillor Daniel Mpofu, who is heading the investigating team, as having a “Rhodesian hangover.”

“We were with these people 15 months back when we were celebrating the party’s resounding victory. Now they are being told that they should leave. This team is compromising the party’s policies,” said Cde Phetshu-Sibanda.

“In 2000, we the war veterans created those villages. When we were creating villages, we could put someone to head that village and those people are still heading those villages. So this talk of me appointing village heads does not hold water. These people who are now investigating this so-called scandal were not even there. The Chief is not even aware of that, he was in Gokwe with his father.”

Cde Phetshu-Sibanda said Clr Mpofu and his team were bogus and should let the responsible people handle land issues if indeed there was a land problem in the district. He vowed to defend “my people” under any circumstances.

“We have discovered that this team is loose and has some hidden agendas. I want this team of five being led by council chairperson, the chief (Jahana), two war veterans, and a detainee to stop interfering in land issues which must be solved by the district or provincial land committee. This team has no instruction from the district and provincial land committee. We asked them to produce minute forms both the district and provincial land committee and they failed to do so.

“I and (Cde Andrew) Langa do not even support people who sell land. Those who are selling land or sold land should be taken to court. If these people who are investigating the matter are after me and Langa they should openly declare that and not hide by the bush and stop harassing people. Langa and I, his manager, have a clear policy of defending resettled people in the constituency. We did that by defending people from Midlands who were supposed to be evicted. I will also defend my people under any circumstances.”

While launching a seething attack on Clr Mpofu who is popularly known as DK, Cde Phetshu-Sibanda said his “Rhodesian hangover” was misplaced and should let police do their work properly.

“DK pretends to head the lands committee at the same time pretends to be the investigator. He has a hangover of the dockets which he left unfinished from the British South Africa Police (BSAP) where he was working under the Rhodesian government that is why he has the hangover of investigating. He should let the police investigate the matter.

“On land issues, he too has a hangover as he did not participate in the reform process in Matabeleland. I led the land reform in Matabeleland and I never saw him. My million dollar question is what is this group led by DK doing? What is the interest of this group?”

Speaking to Sunday News at his Filabusi offices, Clr Mpofu said Cde Phetshu-Sibanda’s sentiments were meant to cover up for his illicit land deals and Clr Mpofu’s past work experiences had nothing to do with his current work.

“I don’t know why he is saying I am a bogus team leader. All what I am doing is sanctioned by Minister Abedinico Ncube. If there is someone who has a problem with what I am doing, he or she has to confront Minister Ncube. How can I be bogus when provincial police, district police, land officials and the district administrator were part of the investigation? His allegations are unfounded because there is no way I can take all these people from my head. My past has nothing to do with this investigation and why is he talking about my past as if his past record is clean,” said Clr Mpofu.

Cde Ncube was not picking his phone when Sunday News sought his comment.

Cde Phetshu-Sibanda had a vote of no confidence passed against him in November last year for allegedly working with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru who wanted to topple President Mugabe. Zanu-PF further suspended him for two years.