The Minister of State for Masvingo Province, Shuvai Mahofa is furious after a thriving Chiredzi Crocodile farm was invaded by a Zanu PF youth who claims to be armed with an offer letter.

The farm rears 17 000 crocodiles and employs 60 people and the invasion is putting the jobs at stake. The farm is also a major foreign currency earner with almost all products from it including crocodile skins exported.

A senior Government official who declined to be named said that the Minister met the directors of the crocodile project, Jeffrey Sommer and Stanford Gwanzura at her offices in Masvingo on Monday and promised to deal with the issue as a matter of urgency.

It is understood that the Minister has called for a Provincial Lands Committee meeting to be held before the end of this week.

Efforts to get a comment from Mahofa were fruitless.
The official said Mahofa questioned how the offer letter was issued in the first place.

Crocodile Farm Manager Wilson Gondo confirmed that his bosses met Mahofa on Monday. He also said the Provincial Lands Officer Tendai Mumera visited the farm last week and said efforts to locate the source of Gilbert Nyasha`s offer letter came to nought meaning the offer letter is not known in the province.

“I can confirm that my bosses Jeffrey Sommer and Stanley Gwanzura met Minister Mahofa on Monday after she summoned them to hear their side of the story regarding our project. According to them, the meeting was positive since Mahofa promised to solve the issue so that our operations will not be disturbed” said Gondo.

Nyasha who is a Zaka youth came to the farm which has 17000 crocodiles on January 1, this year armed with a 2012 offer letter and told the farm manager that he wanted them to move out since they are on his land. The farm is protected under BIPPA since its initial owners, the Sommer brothers are from Germany. – Mirror