ZANU PF supporters that illegally occupied Mazwi Nature Reserve have dismissed as untrue reports that they invaded the Bulawayo City Council property at the instigation of Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi Moyo.
NQOBANI NDLOVU/BENSON DUBE
Moyo was recently exposed in the High Court as being behind the controversial takeover of Helenvale Block Farm near Cowdray Park high-density suburb owned by Majela Sibanda.
According to High Court papers, Sandi-Moyo was behind the government take-over of the farm and giving it to River Valley Estate properties that went on to sell housing stands to civil servants.
Moyo, according to High Court records, facilitated the takeover of the farm into State land.
There had been allegations that she was also behind the Mazwi grab, but the leader of the invaders of the property Tariro Magovanyika denied it.
“That is not true at all. We have never met Sandi Moyo or communicated with her over the phone or through letters about Mazwi. It was our initiative to take over this property that was lying idle so that we could parcel it to thousands of landless people,” Magovanyika said yesterday.
Moyo was said to be off sick yesterday and Southern Eye calls to her mobile phone kept on being cut.
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Magovanyika said more than 4 000 people had now been allocated land at Mazwi while over 1 000 others were on the waiting list.
“We will request for more land from the government or target those multiple farm owners or farms lying idle to ensure that everyone gets a portion of land,” he added.
Magovanyika and Mark Muunganirwa appeared in court on Tuesday facing charges of criminal trespassing — regarding their invasion of Mazwi.
