Zimpapers Logo

Nduduzo Tshuma Senior Political Reporter
THE invasion of farms surrounding Bulawayo is spreading with a group that occupied a municipality property moving onto another farm in a development that has resulted in violent clashes with firearms being produced.
People who recently occupied the Bulawayo City Council-owned Mazwi Game Sanctuary reportedly clashed with those who were settled in the neighbouring Red Bank Farm last Friday after the former moved their members onto the property claiming that the farm was being under-utilised.

Some settlers on Red Bank Farm reportedly produced firearms but were disarmed by the Mazwi group composed of youths claiming to be Zanu-PF members.

The chairperson of the Mazwi group, Tariro Magovanyika, yesterday confirmed the incident saying one Thabo and Nothando Masuku threatened to shoot their members who had occupied the farm.

“They initially came on Thursday and ordered comrades to move out of the area as it was their property.
“The next day, they came again with guns and threatened to shoot our comrades,” said Magovanyika.

He said they received calls from their “comrades” informing them of the incident.
“We told them to stand their ground. Eventually the two were disarmed and brought to our command centre at Mazwi. There was no way they were going to shoot 400 comrades.

“After settling at Mazwi, we discovered that in the next farm, they had 16 plots but only 10 had occupants. We then put people there because even those 10 occupants were not fully utilising the land.

“We do not know whether they are being sponsored by the MDCs or Zapu because those parties do not like what we are doing. Those settlers said they have been there since 2000 but they are not doing anything,” Magovanyika said.

Recently, the Mazwi group invaded Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa’s Rudy Farm in Nyamandlovu, Matabeleland North, but was driven out by the police.

In the latest incident, Magovanyika said they disarmed the Masukus and told them they would decide whether or not to take legal action.
“We only took their details after meeting with them. We will decide on what action to take,” he said.

Contacted for comment, Thabo Masuku denied threatening the invaders with firearms.
“Those are lies, nothing of that sort happened. Those people invaded Mazwi then they encroached onto Red Bank Farm, they cleared land and cut down trees before pegging the area.

“We asked them why they were doing that because the property belonged to us as we were settled there in 2000,” said Masuku.
“We even approached the police in Luveve who advised us to engage them which we did. We had a meeting with them but it went smoothly with no incident of violence.

“We went as five plot holders. It is only that they saw us with guns earlier when we were still at Red Bank Farm but we never threatened them. We went to Mazwi without guns.”