Beitbridge senator Tambudzani Mohadi, Zanu-PF Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Rabelani Choeni and a few villagers last week, in defiance of presidential directives, allegedly invaded Double O Ranch in Beitbridge.
The property is the only farm in Matabeleland South with a successful banana and tomato cultivation project funded by a loan from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Owner of the farm, George Watson (Jnr) confirmed that Mohadi, who is State Security minister Kembo Mohadi’s wife, Choeni, Amon Ndou and some villagers last Friday announced their takeover of the 2 000-hectare property.
“I was away in Chiredzi with my family when they came. My 70-year-old mother and some workers were at the farm,” said Watson.
“They physically pushed my mother aside and entered our house where they made a list of all our property. They instructed that nothing should be removed since everything now belonged to them.”
Mohadi and the invaders did not present an offer letter from the government.
The group, once stopped by Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko in 2014 after a similar raid, allegedly broke into the workshops before drawing a list of equipment and implements. They later declared that they were the new owners.
When contacted yesterday, Choeni said he does not speak to reporters he did not know.
“I don’t want to talk to you. What is your paper? I just don’t speak to any journalists,” he said.
Choeni has failed to develop a farm near Zhovhe Dam in Beitbridge that was allocated to him during the land reform programme.
Mohadi, who with her husband are not new to farm disputes, said she did not know anything about the invasion.
“Don’t you know that I have my own farm? I don’t know what you are talking about. Who is Watson? What are you talking about?” she asked.
The Mohadis, who own the Twin River Ranch lost a court battle to a relative Given Mbedzi from whom they tried to wrestle Zingwe Island, which is on Lot 9, Plot 1 of the Jompempi Block in Beitbridge.
Apart from a few cattle, there is no other meaningful production at Twin River Ranch, which has a failed citrus project.