Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba facilitated the take over of a highly productive farm in Manicaland by her son who she conceived during the liberation war without following proper procedures.

Mr Rememberance Mbudzana, the son of the Minister grabbed the farm from a white commercial farmer after his mother fraudulently sort a letter of allocation from former Agriculture Minister, the late Perence Shiri without the District lands committee meeting.

Minister Gwaradzimba said while the Provincial Lands Committee did not meet to deliberate, she was empowered to write on its behalf as its chairperson before she eventually regularised that decision later.

“Yes, Rememberance is my first born son whom I had during the revolution with my late husband.

“Sometimes in January 2019 he was offered that land after he had applied in 2008,” said Minister Gwaradzimba.

She said Mr Mbudzana was given the land after Chief Mapungwana, who had initially been allocated the property, failed to take occupation.

When asked to provide evidence that Mr Mbudzana had applied for land in 2008, Minister Gwaradzimba said she had left documents in her office in Mutare.

Mr Mukoyi said he saw Mr Mbudzana’s application for land made in 2014 but said he could not remember whether it was a fresh application or if it was a renewal.

This riled the committee which queried why both Minister Gwaradzimba and Mr Mukoyi did not bring documentary papers as directed in a letter inviting them to give evidence before the Parliamentary Committee.

Cde Wadyajena also read a letter from Chief Mapungwana who disputed allegations that he did not take occupation of the said farm, saying despite his demand to be shown the farm as per procedure, officials from the Ministry of Lands continued procrastinating, only to hear that Mr Mbudzana had been given the land.