War Veteran Battles To Keep Farm After Gold Find

A war veteran in Sanyati, Mashonaland West, faces eviction from his six-hectare farm after gold deposits were discovered on the land. He says the find has attracted “greedy” individuals. The matter is now before the courts.

Timothy Tivoro, 76, an ex-combatant, has lived at Easterlea Farm since 1999. He was originally resettled from another farm in Sanyati to make way for a dam under a presidential scheme. He was then allocated Plot 1, Village A, at Easterlea Farm, where he farms.

Speaking to NewsDay, Tivoro said that he is appealing to the government to intervene and stop the eviction.

“I was relocated from my first farm in Sanyati in 1999 to pave the way for dam construction under a presidential scheme, and I was given a six-hectare farm at Easterlea in the same year,” said Tivoro.

“But all my problems started when I employed one Lawrence Kazungu to do manual work.”

He said gold deposits were discovered in 2018, and he was granted a special mining permit under SG7660.

Tivoro alleged that Kazungu tried to take control of everything because of his age, and claimed the employee colluded with officials from the Ministry of Mines.

He said Kazungu was being greedy and that he did not understand the motive behind his actions.

Tivoro further alleged that Kazungu, who initially ran a chrome mine nearby, later encroached on his land and altered the farm’s coordinates. He said the officials involved in the alleged changes have since been dismissed.

However, Kazungu dismissed the allegations and insisted that he has the required paperwork.

“I stay with him in the same village. He is lying that he is a war veteran. Ask him to show you a payslip indicating that he is a war veteran. He is trying to create a dispute, and we have all the necessary papers,” said Kazungu.

Former Mines minister Winston Chitando cancelled Kazungu’s mining licence, citing illegal pegging.

In a letter dated 16 July 2018, Chitando upheld the cancellation of Phoebe 49 Mine, saying it had been pegged in contravention of the Mines and Minerals Act and without the landowner’s consent.