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More Woes For Mugabe Family As Perence Shiri Kicks Out Mugabe’s Exiled Nephew From Zvimba Farm

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Minister of Lands and retired Air Chief Marshal, Perence Shiri is reported to have booted out the former late President Robert Mugabe’s nephew,  Patrick Zhuwao, from his Zvimba farm.

Reports reaching iHarare from online publication, NewZimbabwe, have revealed that Zhuwa who has been in exile in neighbouring South Africa since the fall of his uncle in the November 2017 Military Coup was recently kicked out of his 232-hectare farm in Zvimba district, Mashonaland West province.

In his court papers filed at the High Court in Harare, Zhuwao claims he was awarded the farm in 2004 under the land reform programme and thus, it is unlawful for the former Air Chief Marshall to seize the farm.

On the 9th of December 2004, I was offered subdivision 1 of Cockington in Zvimba District, in the province of Mashonaland West which is approximately 232.81 hectares in extent.
The offer was made in terms of the Agricultural Land Resettlement Act Chapter 20:01. I accepted the offer and a clear contractual agreement between the Ministry of Lands Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Settlement and myself.

The court papers further revealed that Zhuwao received a notice to withdraw the offer letter signed by the lands Minister alleging that he had abandoned the farm since 2011.  He also added that although he had responded to the notice he did not receive a responce from the minister. Zhuwao said he was shocked to have received another letter notifying him of the immediate termination of his contract.

Despite all the challenges of vandalism of electrical infrastructural and theft, I have been farming to the best of my farm’s potential in the circumstances. Withdrawing my letter on the basis of unsubstantiated and spurious allegations without investigating the veracity of such allegations is a gross substantive

I am therefore not in breach of any of the terms and conditions attached to the offer. Since I was allocated the plot I have been farming tobacco, cereal crops, sunflower and poultry.”

Zhuwao also contested the cancellations and said that only President Mnangagwa had the powers to revoke offer letters hence the need for justice to take its course.

The letter does not bear official stamp of the ministry to verify its authenticity. Further the letter does not contain any reasons for the decision. It is simply a cancellation ‘out of a proverbial blue’. It is my considered opinion that this letter is bogus and in any event, unenforceable as it is ultra vires to the enabling legislation and it offends the principles of natural justice.

The respondent has no jurisdiction to withdraw my offer letter because the Enabling Act (Agricultural Land Resettlement Act Chapter 20:01) does not grant him the powers to do so. It is only the President who can cancel or withdraw offer letters, not the minister.

The matter is still pending.

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