Bhora Musango, Come 2023 Over Farm Wrangle

By Clayton Masekesa

MUTARE – Disgruntled Zanu PF youths in Headlands constituency in
Manicaland province have said the continuous Mhandara Farm fight will
affect Zanu PF votes in the forthcoming general elections slated for
2023.

The youths are embroiled in a fierce dispute over Mhandara Farm owned
by Dakarai Mapuranga.

The youths invaded and settled at the Mhandara Farm in Headlands
during the height of the protracted land reform programme in 2004.

Government’s plan was to resettle the youths and the former farm
workers,  but the youths claim that they  were persuaded by the then
Minister of Lands and Resettlement – Dydmus Mutasa – who was viewed as
Manicaland’s  Zanu PF political godfather.

The youths allege that Mutasa had hidden deals with Mapuranga and told
the youths to go back to their homes and then come back when the farm
has been planned for their resettlement.

In a letter of appeal in possession of the Zim Morning Post written to
the newly appointed Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Nokuthula
Matsikenyeri, the youths said if the issue was not urgently resolved,
it will affect the votes for Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in the forthcoming
general elections.

The letter was signed by Zanu PF constituency youth secretary Aphia
Ingilesi, among other youth top leaders.

“Dakarai Mapuranga is a very strong G40 whom we were fighting during
the G40 era and are still fighting him. Dakarai Mapuranga has a hidden
40 agenda of fighting Zanu PF from within. He does not support
President Mnangagwa, Zanu PF and the new dispensation,” wrote the
youths.

“Dakarai Mapuranga did his schooling at Kutama Boys High School and
his classmate and close friend up to now is Russell Goreraza the first
son of Grace Mugabe, before she was married to former President Robert
Mugabe,” read the letter.

“Because of this relationship during Mugabe era, he was openly
boasting to us for being Mugabe’s son when he was given an offer
letter by the former Lands Minister Didymus Mutasa against our wish,
authorizing him to temporarily farm at Mhandara Farm as Head of
Platinum company and leave the farm when the government earmarked it
for resettlement,” said the youths.

“Because of Dakarai Mapuranga’s strong connections with the powers of
the day and a very strong G40 youth, he enjoyed all the Zanu PF
favours given by Zanu PF,” said the youths.

The youths allege that Mapuranga got government tenders through
corrupt means and is now using the ‘ill-gotten wealth’ to evict the
poor youths and farm workers from the farm.

“He is using lawyers and the courts to take over the farm. There are
poor farm workers who have been always at the farm and using it as
their home and have nowhere else to go, the youths who had invaded the
farm and were promised that they would be resettled there  by the
government,” the youths wrote.

The youths are arguing that Mapuranga is claiming to have an offer
letter for Mhandara Farm and has made three attempts to remove poor
former farm workers by force through the messenger of court and hired
thugs from Rusape town who are from the opposition party.

“Is this fair? Will this give us mileage during the crucial 2023
general elections? Is this in support of President Mnangagwa’s call of
having 5 million votes in 2023? Mapuranga and his new white
contractor, a racist have only two votes, which they will not give
President Mnangagwa because of his hidden agenda of fighting Zanu PF
from within using his corrupt riches,” said the youths.

“Yet the youths and the former farm workers who are true Zanu PF whom
Mapuranga is fighting and disappointing are the people who are going
to give many votes to President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in 2023,” said
the youths.

Contacted for a comment Mapuranga told Post On Sunday that the Zanu-PF youths were being
used by Christopher Chingosho to fight him over his Mhandara Farm.
Chingosho is the local Member of Parliament.

“The underlying fear is that some candidate thinks that I want to run
for Headlands in 2023, which I am not, hence, the attempt to disrupt
farm operations,” said Mapuranga.
“He (Chingosho) should not use other people’s farms as campaign tools.
Who is not a beneficiary of the land reform among his team? They are
just politicking. The agenda is political. He should not campaign
using farms allocated to fellow black farmers,” Mapuranga said.

“I also note that there are concerted efforts to disrupt one of the
most productive farms in Manicaland, which is Mhandara Farm. It’s a
waste of time and resources. Focus should be the allocation of
underutilized farms to enhance food security and employment creation,”
he explained.

Asked to comment on the issue of him being linked to G40, Mapuranga
said: “I have been and will always remain a Zanu PF card carrying
member since I was 18.”
Chingosho said Mhandara Farm was allocated to the youths.

“Mhandara Farm was occupied by youths during the land reform programme
and the youths were removed on the understanding that they would be
orderly allocated plots. Again, the whole farm was allocated to one
person, Dakarai Mapuranga,” said Chingosho.

This publication is in position of an offer letter given to
Mapuranga under Platinum Agriculture (Pvt) Ltd on December 14, 2006 by
Mutasa.