MANICALAND-Former Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa’s Mona Agro Farm on the outskirts of Rusape town has been taken over by VP Munangagwa’s former girlfriend Governor Mandiitawepi Chimene , the state media has reported.
The farm is reported to be an investment project that Mutasa had settled his constituency officer, Mrs Christine Murembwe, to mind his interests.
“Cde Chimene took over Mona Farm a few days ago and is staying there. She had a farm at Penhalonga but the farm is now under the Mutare City masterplan,” said a source.
Chimene confirmed settling at Mona Farm in an interview with the state media recently.
It is alleged that during his tenure as Minister of State for National Security, Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement, Mutasa used his political clout to protect white commercial farmers in the province.
“Mutasa had left whites on the farm but in fact it was his farm and they had formed an agro-tourism joint venture. Murembwe was overseeing operations at the farm on behalf of Mutasa and was Mutasa’s constituency secretary as well.”
A white commercial farmer, whom Mutasa was protecting all along, occupied the remainder of the 1 117- hectare farm before Chimene moved in recently.
Mrs Murembwe was settled at Mona Farm although she has another piece of land at Dyffryn Farm within the same vicinity.
Chimene said only white commercial farmers involved in dairy farming and other “specialists fields” would not have their farms acquired for resettlement.
A cabinet minister recently told thezimbabwenewslive.com that the remaining whites are paying protection fees to top officials to safeguard their interests.
This latest take over of Mutasa’s farm is seen by many as Mnangagwa’s bid to strip off the assets of his rivals linked to ousted former VP Joice Mujuru.It is also reported that VP Munangagwa and Mandi Chimene have a child together.
