VP Mohadi’s son evicts 21 families
AT least 21 families are sleeping in the open after they were violently evicted from a farm in Mashonaland Central province early this week, in a case that exposes the persistent involvement of senior political figures in land disputes.
The eviction, carried out on Monday, saw families dumped along the Harare-Bindura Highway with their damaged belongings following the ejection from Arnold Farm in Mazowe.
The farm has in the past been controversially linked to high-profile politicians, including former First Lady Grace Mugabe, who attempted to remove the settlers before.
In the latest run-in, victims described a brutal process in which they were given only minutes to remove their possessions before their homes were set ablaze.
The eviction left them exposed at the start of the rainy season, with several children among evictees.
“The eviction was so cruel. We were told to remove our property within minutes,” said Pearson Tagara, one of the affected villagers.
“This resulted in furniture like kitchen units, wardrobes and beds being damaged as we rushed to move. It’s heart breaking.”
Soon after they removed their property, the huts were torched.
The 1 245-hectare Arnold Farm, also known as Manzou Farm near the scenic Mazowe Dam, has a long history of contentious ownership implicating top politicians.
The latest action was a climax of a protracted struggle over the property.
Distraught settlers have alleged the involvement of Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Mafenyadira, in the recent eviction.
The victims are appealing for justice and government intervention.
“We are suffering abuse that is ill-timed, depriving us of our right to peace and shelter,” said one settler, capturing the group’s desperation.
We could not get a comment from Mafenyadira before going to print.
In December, over 300 villagers held a demonstration at the same farm against manoeuvres by Mafenyadira to evict them from the property they have called home for years.
Villagers accused Mafenyadira of unleashing State security agents to threaten them, but they were not deterred as they went on to destroy a fence that Mohadi’s son had erected.
It was reported that Mafenyadira engaged security guards to conduct night patrols, with several people being arrested on charges of trespassing.
In December, through his cousin, Mafenyadira confirmed the violent clashes with villagers in an interview with NewsDay.
“I understand that violent illegal settlers at Old Arnold Farm in Mazowe demonstrated, vandalised property and harmed security guards at Vice-President Mohadi’s son place over a farm he was allocated by the Ministry of Lands,” Hardlife Samuwi, the cousin, said.
“Our farm hand had his hand broken by these illegal settlers.”
In March 2017, police forcibly evicted villagers from the farm, demolishing their homes and destroying crops in the name of establishing a national monument and expanding business interests associated with the former First Lady.
The community subsequently sought legal assistance from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, resulting in a High Court ruling that favoured the villagers and halted their eviction.
Reports have previously said First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is also eyeing the farm.
NewsDay
