Former National Healing Minister Sues Over Farm Eviction
Co-Minister of National Healing and Integration in the Government of National Unit (2009 – 2013), Moses Mzila Ndlovu is facing eviction from his farm in Matobo District, reported B-Metro.
Mzila Ndlovu, who claims he has occupied the farm for the past 19 years has approached the High Court challenging the eviction.
In his application filed at the Bulawayo High Court under case number 1760/23 Mzila Ndlovu cited Matobo District Lands officer Johanes Zifudze as the first respondent, the Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development as the second respondent, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, as the third respondent and Officer-in-Charge of Zimbabwe Republic Police-Figtree and the Officer Commanding Zimbabwe Republic Police Matabeleland South as the fourth and fifth respondents respectively.
He also cited the Surveyor General and the Sheriff of Zimbabwe as the sixth and seventh respondents.
In his papers, Mzila Ndlovu stated that he has been in beneficial occupation, use and control of Khami Magazine Farm situated in Matobo District since 2004.
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According to the application, the farm was by Deed of Grant, granted by the Queen of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland to a body corporate going by the name and style of African Explosives and Chemicals Industries (Rhodesia) Limited.
Between 2004 and 2006 the farm found itself under the charge of yet another corporate body, Dyno Nobel Zimbabwe (Private) Limited. The application reads in part:
Since then applicant has enjoyed undisturbed possession, beneficial use and control of the said property until the 11th of August 2023, when the 1st respondent brought in scores of people into the property, occupied by the applicant, to peg and dish out stands to the said persons, as to arbitrarily evict applicant from the use and control of about 200 hectares of the 360 3163 hectare farm.
He said Zifudze has continued pegging and parcelling out the farm in question and by doing so Zifudze was exposing him to forcible or arbitrary eviction executed without a court order.
Mzila Ndlovu claimed that at the peak of the Zimbabwe land reform programme, he had already settled at the farm having built a fully-fledged homestead there. He said:
It had come to my knowledge that such land as a private company was leasing out to me at prohibitive rentals was State land.
I wrote to the office of the governor of Matabeleland South on 12 January 2006 to bring the foregoing revelation to her attention and to protest the corruption and apparent discrimination associated with company officials who had taken charge of the State farm.
After the company aforementioned had run scared of my protestations, it ceased to demand rentals from me and l remained on the farm.
Mzila Ndlovu further stated that in June this year, he was visited by Zifudze who advised him that he wanted to peg out pieces of land from his farm.
He said on 11 August, Zifudze presented himself with scores of other persons to begin pegging and parcelling the farm. The occupants are allegedly members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police from Figtree.
Mzila Ndlovu said Zifudze, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development and its permanent secretary have always been aware of his presence at the farm since 2004 and regarded him as their tenant.
The matter was yet to be set down for hearing.
More: Pindula News
