Former First Lady, Grace Mugabe’s farm has been invaded by gold panners who taunted her and refused to leave. When she confronted them...
Former First Lady, Grace Mugabe’s farm has been invaded by
gold panners who taunted her and refused to leave.
When she confronted them, they immediately broke into
Kutongwa Kwaro song. Grace tried in vain to order them off her property, with
some saying in jest that they would only vacate the property if she provides
them with jobs.
“You no longer have any power to remove us. This is the new
dispensation, we do what we want,” one of the panners shouted when Grace left
for Mazowe Police Station to report the matter.
Grace later went to Mazowe Police Station to make a report,
where she implicated one Nyazvigo, as having dispatched the panners to her
property.
“On the 29th day of March 2018 at around 11:30 hours, I was
touring my farm, Smithfeld when I arrived at Lemon Pool section, I was shocked
to find a group of approximately 400 men busy illegally panning for gold,” she
said in a statement to police.
“I then asked them to stop their activities since I am the
owner of the farm and I am the holder of a special grant for the whole area.
“However, the crowd, which was being led by one known as
Nyazvigo started to shout obscenities at me and continued with their unlawful
activities.
“The illegal activities have since destroyed my irrigation
infrastructure, which feeds lemons pool section, and there is massive land
degradation.”
Grace claimed she had a special grant from the Mines and
Mining Development ministry for the area recorded under number 6045 signed on
June 10, 2016.
Speaking to NewsDay after making the police report, Grace
could not hide her anger at the panners.
“Does it mean that if President Mnangagwa is removed
tomorrow, he will be disposed of his investments? “Is this how he wants to be treated with his investments?
“This is politically motivated, as you can see that when we
got there, they were singing kutonga kwaro garwe.”
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