INFORMATION minister Chris Mushohwe, former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa and other Zanu PF bigwigs have been fingered in the pillaging of Kondozi Farm during government’s controversial land reform programme despite the farm being owned by a black indigenous farmer.
by Jairos Saunyama
This was revealed in former Kondozi director Edwin Moyo’s book, My Kondozi Story — The People’s Hope Pillaged, which was launched on Wednesday night in Harare.
Moyo, who together with over 5 000 workers were ordered off the farm in 2004 by heavily-armed police, was the majority shareholder of the thriving horticultural business.
The book emotionally described how Mushohwe and Mutasa thwarted the hope of about 15 000 black Zimbabweans dependent on the thriving horticultural business.
He also revealed how Mutasa, Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo, Agriculture minister Joseph Made and former Manicaland governor Mike Nyambuya took over Kondozi and surrendered it to Mushohwe, who literally ran it down.
Moyo claimed the siege was done without President Robert Mugabe’s knowledge, with Mushohwe and Mutasa employing all tactics to bar traditional chiefs opposed to the invasion from seeking an audience with the veteran leader.
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“More than 5 000 workers, outgrowers and other businesses were displaced and lost their livelihoods in order to resettle one minister,” Moyo wrote.
He said a group of traditional chiefs from Marange had hired buses to Harare to meet Vice-President Joseph Msika in a bid to have the decision on Kondozi reversed, but were foiled by Mutasa and Mushohwe.
Mushohwe heard of the planned lobbying, but threatened to cancel the road permit of any bus company that would carry the chiefs to Harare. He was then Transport minister.
Moyo also claimed that his efforts to seek a meeting with newly-appointed governor Nyambuya failed.
However, the chiefs made their way to Harare, but Msika was duped by Mutasa and Mushohwe into promising them that he would send soldiers to remove the invaders so they would not demand to meet Mugabe.
Mugabe had not publicly spoken then about Kondozi Farm, one of the biggest foreign currency earners at the time, bringing $15 million to the country annually.
“Msika later confided in me that he had never seen such evil men as Mutasa, Mushohwe and their allies, including the vocal Jonathan Moyo,” Moyo wrote.
The then Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa was also implicated.
Jonathan Moyo was accused of using the State media to advance the interests of the invaders, lying to the nation that export of products had resumed under the new leadership.
Moyo said the Zanu PF chefs started looting the equipment from the farm after Mushohwe failed to run it.
“Arda clearly failed Kondozi. The only thing they succeeded in doing was to change the name from Kondozi to Arda Kondozi. They tried several partnerships that did not work. The real motive had been to use State funds to assist Mushohwe eventually take over the business,” Moyo added.
Reached for comment, Mushohwe said he could not respond as he had not yet read the book. Jonathan Moyo was not answering his mobile phone, while Mutasa’s was not reachable.
