BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu was yesterday accused of invading the hotly contested Esidakeni Farm in Matabeleland North and chasing away workers.
Esidakeni Farm in Matabeleland North’s Umguza district is co-owned by national hero Sidney Malunga’s son Sipho, Zephaniah Dhlamini and Charles Moyo.
The farm has come under the spotlight after the government parcelled it out to Mpofu and state security agents as well as National University of Science and Technology lecturer Dumisani Madzivanyati under unclear circumstances.
Malunga, Dhlamini and Moyo are challenging the seizure of the farm in the courts arguing that it was unfairly parcelled out after they bought it from a white former commercial farmer.
The dispute took a nasty turn yesterday after the alleged invasion by Mpofu’s son and “scores of people”.
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“I just received a message from my partner Zeph Dhlamini at Esidakeni Farm that Obert Mpofu sent his son and scores of people there,” Malunga said.
“They are ploughing our fields.
“They chased our workers from the irrigation points and threatened them against taking pictures.
“This is what Zimbabwe has become.
“We will defend our rights. We will evict them and his people and we will not rest until he answers for his corrupt and criminal abuse of power and authority.
“We know we are not his only victims.”
He added: “So this was the cowardly threat he was making: to invade our farm.
“Our fathers and our liberation heroes are surely turning in their graves.
“But we will fight Obert Mpofu.
“He does not intimidate us.”
Malunga, Moyo and Dhlamini are challenging Mpofu’s offer letter for part of the property.
Malunga accused Mpofu of “primitive accumulation of wealth”.
“It’s called primitive accumulation.
“Primitive accumulation because it is primordial, animalistic, irrational and corrupt.
“Accumulation because it is voracious, expropriatory. It’s about taking everything from everyone,” he said.
“After initially denying it, Mpofu has now admitted that he grabbed our farm because he has no farm to grow crops.
“The sense of entitlement is nauseating. The unbridled greed is shocking. He had to take our farm.
“There is nothing revolutionary about his primitive accumulation. In time, I will say how he refused to allocate land to me and my brother Busi 20 years ago after being asked by (late vice-president John Nkomo).
“Then he takes our farm 21 years later.”
Mpofu yesterday said he does not “respond to nonsense” when contacted for comment.
On Friday, he posted on Twitter: “I proudly possess an offer later, which was offered after due process. Fronting whites is not due process but trying to justify an illegality is criminal.”
Last week, the sheriff of the High Court evicted Madzivanyati from the farm following a recent High Court order to that effect notwithstanding an appeal he lodged at the Supreme Court.
Justice Evangelista Kabasa’s October 28 order came after Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese also ordered Madzivanyati to stop farming activities and return the farm to the owners.