The Government has not relented on its plans to take over 4 000 hectares of sugarcane fields from Tongaat Hullet despite economic ramification where 2 000 workers are going to lose jobs and on Friday last week, the 196 would be beneficiaries, most of them top party, Government officials, relatives and their children started receiving the offer letters.
All the beneficiaries are getting fields with ready to harvest sugarcane with the value of the crop running into millions of dollars.
The takeover happens at a time when profits for Tongaat, the single biggest employer outside Government have plunged from $74 million in 2013 to just $1 million this year.
The Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Douglas Mombeshora referred all questions to the Minister of State for Masvingo and the provincial lands officer.
The Minister for Masvingo, Shuvai Mahofa confirmed the developments but refused to shed more light.
She also refused to comment on allegations that all officers in her office had benefitted from the latest allocations.
The acting provincial lands officer, Tendai Mumera also confirmed the development but refused to release the names of the beneficiaries to The Mirror arguing that higher offices had indicated to her that these were a State secret.
Mumera who was posted to Masvingo a few weeks ago is also said to be one of the beneficiaries.
The Mirror is reliably informed that the list of beneficiaries is littered with Zanu PF officials and their children most of whom are still in school.
The other large group of beneficiaries are officers in the Ministry of Lands and other Government departments.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands Grace Mutandiro also confirmed the development but refused to release the names of beneficiaries which she said were a State secret.
This comes hardly weeks after Mahofa declared that there was stinking corruption in the Ministry of Lands.
Leaders of the two biggest sugarcane unions in Chiredzi described the process as corrupt and a sham meant to benefit Zanu PF chefs and their children.
They said that the process cannot be called empowerment or indigenisation when there is no mention of 2 000 workers and their children who are going to be made jobless and rendered destitute.
Both the Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Industry Workers’ Union president Freedom Madungwe and Sugar Production and Milling Industry Workers’ Union executive, Adonia Mutero called for the reversal of the allocations and demanded share ownership schemes for workers.
Ironically the new farmers are getting sugarcane fields with cane that is ripe and ready for harvest and if previous experience is anything to go by these farmers are going to sell the cane and pocket the money.
Last year new farmers went into the fields and harvested a crop that they did not spent a cent on and earned tens of thousands of dollars each from sales in what is probably one of the most despicable approach to the land reform programme in Zimbabwe.
The new allocations have also deepened divisions in Zanu PF, particularly in Masvingo where those who have not benefitted are accusing top officials of corruption.
A top Zanu PF official is said to have recently made a prayer at a provincial co-ordinating committee meeting in Masvingo in which he appealed to God to help those who are not connected.
The Mirror understands that there was a general agreement in the province that all the top five in Zanu PF wings; the main wing, women and youth would benefit from the allocations. Sources said there was ‘war’ as none of those mentioned has benefitted.
“What is the purpose of sitting down as a provincial lands committee when at the end of the day the schedule is not being followed?” said one irate provincial executive member who requested anonymity.
“I can confirm that there were sugarcane plot allocations done but there are no complaints received as of now.
“Unfortunately I cannot give you the list of beneficiaries because my superiors said it is State secret,” said Mumera.
Sources said some of the beneficiaries are Mrs Mlambo understood to be a personal assistant in Mahofa’s office, Chugwa and Pedzisai who work in the President’s department, the late liberation icon Josiah Tongogara’s two children and MPs Jeppy Jaboon and Robson Mavhenyengwa.
The Deputy Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Mathias Tongofa who is also the MP for Chivi North got a 20 hectare plot in Hippo Valley and chief finance director in the ministry of lands only identified as Mukwende was allocated in Triangle.
Matuke’s child who is studying in China is also said to have benefitted.
Deputy Minister of Lands Berita Chikwama’s child, Senator Mahofa’s three children, six chiefs from Chiredzi, 15 officials from the lands ministry at head office and Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Oppah Muchinguri’s son were allocated plots in Triangle area alleged the source.
