Recent events in Matabeleland South have shown how divided the people of Zimbabwe are. The Maleme Ranch issue only saw people of Matabeleland advocate for the removal of the CIO Officer Mashingaidze who had stopped progress at the ranch run jointly by a white farmer and the local community. In the City of Kings, there were also skirmishes with the commuter bus drivers who cried out loud and clear that they have had enough of unnecessary road blocks in which the only thing the police offices wanted was to ask for are bribes.
When the two events started, both organised by local people without any political leadership involved, one would have thought all voices of justice and democracy would join in. Surprisingly none did, even the media voice was muted. Can one ask, why? Why do we get divided on issues that affect us all? We were all united condemning the unnecessary grabbing of land that is benefiting communities, yet now a specific issue that needed our attention to set a huge precedent comes our way and we all ignore it as if it is not taking place at all. Is Zimbabwe so divided such that its voices of democracy mean nothing and are silenced according to regional concerns only?
What made the giants of democracy suddenly lose their voices where they were all needed? Did they not see the injustice we all saw where one man has to deny the entire community of hundreds of people from benefiting from a project they have worked so hard on and benefitted for the last ten years?
Speaking to young people from the community, there are more than 100 families on this ranch and nearly 600 workers. The farm owner has been helping the community in various ways (projects like poultry gardening have commenced since the beginning of this past decade. There is no doubt that the stopping of one Walter Mzembi from “acquiring” Mitchell’s farm in Masvingo served the same purpose as the Melame community wanted, only that they did not have a Mahofa to do it for them.
Several young men and women have had their school fees paid by the farm and even some University students have their tuition fees paid for by this farm. It should be known that efforts to take the farm started with the local MP, Khanye who I understand already owns three more farms since he grabbed since he became MP. When Khanye failed, Mashingaidze then muscled his security status and was almost there. The local community determines its future, and it is happy with its white partner because most people from these villages; Magobeni, Mablaweni , Halale Silozwe, Shumbes, and the areas along Kezi-Maphisa road have benefitted from the farm. Numerous students have passed through Ebennerzar within its premises.
With regards to the land grabbing going on in this area, I received an email from one of the young men at the centre of it all who was born and bred in the area. With his permission, I include it below;
‘’…There are too many people involved in this. Its not only this Mashingaidze. We are aware of people like John Clever Dube saying they were mandated by Zanu pf to do absolutely anything they want towards an ill advised move of repossessing all farms. Its not only him, there is another not yet identified CIO member who is with Mashingaidze in this operation. Let alone the fact that this man failed to operate the farm he grabbed along Figtree (a dairy farm). To make matters worse, he failed to just prove himself an effective as he failed a simple farmers’ project through poor pricing policies because he sold his birds at $2.50 just below breakeven point which highlights serious business failure. If Maleme is to be taken, can you imagine the disaster for the community? Lets not overlook the D.A because he is also part of the mobile train targeting looting farms profits. His parasitic activities are seen by his prowessness towards repossessing of farms via Clever Dube, Crispen Ndlovu, Bangi Mabika, one Ndabazokufa and their friends. Corruption rocks Matopos leadership. This is not about tribalism at all. It started way back in the proposed ZimAsset document. Most good and productive farmers working with their communities are subjected to loose their hard earned projects to lazy clueless thugs via this animal Zimasset. One stands astonished as they use their power to manipulate the province. We feel like we are being colonised by a party which sends its leaders to destroy Matebeleland. Both Clever and his counterparts can not make bread from flour so they will make the existing flour disappear while the masses suffer as their coffers swell.
I hope you get the picture of what is happening here. There are too many farms being abused and not benefiting people yet the villagers have no land as well…’’