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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
TOURISM Minister Walter Mzembi will be allocated another farm elsewhere in Masvingo after he lost his battle to settle at the lucrative Barquest Farm, the biggest chicken hatchery in the province.Masvingo provincial affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa on Wednesday said the provincial leadership was in the process of identifying another farm for Cde Mzembi.

Cde Mzembi was early this year issued with an offer letter to occupy 367 hectares at Barquest Farm on the shores of Lake Mutirikwi, about 20 kilometres east of Masvingo city which is owned by Hellen Mitchell and produces 100,000 day-old chicks per week.

The Masvingo provincial lands committee led by Sen Mahofa wrote to Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Douglas Mombeshora recommending the withdrawal of Cde Mzembi’s offer letter, arguing that the farm was economically strategic to the province.

Cde Mzembi contested the decision, saying he was allocated part of the farm which had been gazetted for resettlement purposes under the land reform programme.

He also argued that he was entitled to get a farm like any other Zimbabwean.

This prompted Cde Mombeshora to personally visit Barquest Farm recently to have a first-hand appreciation of the situation to enable him to make an informed decision.

After the visit, Cde Mombeshora revealed that he was going to make a decision after consulting the national leadership.

Sen Mahofa said Cde Mzembi’s fate at Barquest has already been sealed.

“The resolution to bar Cde Mzembi from Barquest Farm still stands and will never change, she said. The Minister of Lands came here and saw for himself the situation on the ground where he admitted that he had not been in the picture about the magnitude of investment at the farm.

“That person (Mitchell) is staying there and we have since given an instruction that Cde Mzembi be allocated another farm if it’s found.’’

Sen Mahofa said the Masvingo provincial leadership would never countenance the takeover of Barquest Farm because of its importance to the economy of the province.

Cde Mombeshora said a final decision had not been made on the farm.

“After visiting Barquest Farm, we compiled a report that we forwarded to the superiors and they will make the final decision on the issue,’’ he said.

Mitchell’s hatchery at Barquest is housed in the gazetted part of the farm that had been allocated to Cde Mzembi.