MASVINGO — Attempts by Higher and Tertiary Education minister Stan Mudenge to evict about 250 war veterans and Zanu PF militia from his Chikore Farm hit a snag after a Masvingo magistrate turned down his application for an eviction order last Friday.
A contempt of court charge, which the villagers were also facing, was also dismissed.
The war veterans occupied the farm, located a few kilometres south of Masvingo town, at the height of the farm invasions in 2000.
But government allocated the farm to Mudenge seven years later.
The Zanu PF supporters refused to vacate the property arguing they were the first to occupy it. Last year, government ordered them to leave or face eviction to pave way for the former ruling party’s politburo member.
Still, the invaders refused to budge. Last week, the group was brought before Masvingo magistrate Dorothy Mwanyisa facing a charge of contempt of court for refusing to vacate the farm.
The State, represented by Frank Chirairo, had also applied for an eviction order pending appeal to have the war veterans removed from the farm.
However, Mwanyisa removed them from remand saying the case would proceed by way of summons as the State alleged it did not have the docket, which was said to be with the police.
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Mwanyisa also turned down an application for an execution order by the State pending an appeal, saying the criminal court had no jurisdiction to entertain a civil matter.
In her affidavit, one of the accused, Auxillia Makanga, accused the State of working in the minister’s favour.
